A Turn Of Events
by bobdabuilder0804
Summary: COMPLETE Alternate season 2, from Episode 8. Jack and Nina. COMPLETE New alternate ending added, as the original one was a tad too rushed! COMPLETE
1. Introduction Chapter 1

Alternate Season 2 fiction. It takes all of Season 2 into account up to Episode 8, where the plane Jack and Nina are on is hit with some kind of missile. From that point on, its going to be very different! Enjoy! 

Jack stole one more furious glance at Nina before lowering his head and assuming the crash position. His heart was pounding in his chest, each thump felt louder than the hectic sirens which wailed in his ears constantly. He closed his eyes shut and tightened the protective grip his arms held over his head. 'This could be the end,' he thought frantically. 

He knew his mood had changed drastically due the past few disturbing hours he had endured. Anytime before today and he would have welcomed his death with open arms, hell, this would have been a God send. A plane crash - completely out of his control. It would have saved him the shame and humiliation of suicide in a weak moment of depression. 

But now the opportunity was here, and he was terrified. Kimberly was in trouble, in the same location as a planned terrorist strike, and most heartbreakingly of all - she needed him. She wanted him. Had she forgiven him? 

But it wasn't just his daughter he feared for - he was scared for every innocent soul in LA, who was probably going to be blown away now, all because he failed to extract the now invaluable information from Nina. More ironically, in a sick way, Nina was once again the reason of his downfall. On top of this, knowing the horrific type of death he had sentenced millions of people to... the guilt was too much for him to bare. 

The wail of the warning sirens belonging to the plane seemed to get louder and Jack allowed himself one more repulsive glance at her. Nina. The very definition of evil and the very centre of his pain. He felt a sick sense of satisfaction as he could see the fear and apprehension she had failed to hide away on her face. At least she was finally going to meet the end she has forced on so many innocent people... 

Thankfully the sharp dip the plane took caught his attention as he regained his focus on the task at hand, curling himself up as tight as possible as he once more regained the crash landing position. He didn't know whether to laugh or cry at the sudden turn of events his life had undergone. He didn't get the chance to do either as the plane suddenly dropped before crashing into the hostile terrain at a deadly speed. The impact was jarring and sent Jack along with every other passenger into there own painful yet senseless oblivion. 


	2. Chapter 2

Kalah steadily stood up and peered ahead, bracing himself by holding on to the padded frame of the open topped truck as it bumped over the rocky land. The heavy rifle slung over his shoulder was becoming an annoyance as it rattled against his arm in sync with the bumps. He angrily ripped it over his head and dropped it onto the passenger seat he was now leaning back on for support. He squinted up at the bright clear sky as the sun clawed at his eyes. Pulling his vision away from the painted image above them he glanced at his watch. There was no mistaking that the horrendous sound they had herd moments ago was the planned plane crash - the timing was too perfect to be anything else. Glancing over his shoulder to see the ground they had covered he saw Pezel grinning to himself. Kalah smiled at him and nodded, confirming the mans thoughts; it had begun. 

Kalah's grin faded as the stench invaded his senses, it was horrid. The smell of melted plastic and burning rubber, probably flesh too, he thought as he pulled his khaki tee up to cover his nose and block the smells access. He sat back down in his seat placing the rifle on his lap and the vehicle moved through some dense overgrowth. After a few minutes of silence whilst the truck fought with the brush they pulled out into a clearing and the vehicle slowed to a stop. They were here, at the wreckage site. 

All three men knew they had to act fast and accurately now, rescue teams would be on there way, they had to gather the valuable survivors. Yet despite the time issue they all took a moment to take in the scene before them. It wasn't when they expected, that was for sure. The place was silent and despite the huge bulks of metal and plastic that lay scattered over the ground around the main part of the plane, there was an eerie feeling of calmness. Kalah had expect to find chaos, screams, fire, blood, disorientation. Instead he found peace. 

He felt a slight twinge of fear as a sudden thought crossed his mind, what if there were no survivors? Surely there would be noise if there was any. He shook the thoughts away, it wouldn't matter to much. The information would never be attained and the bomb would go off. These people were simply a bonus. A nice big bonus, albeit, but they could still move onwards without them. 

Kalah signalled to the two men who followed his lead and began to climb out onto the uneven land beneath there feet. He replaced his rifle over his shoulder and grabbed his brown satchel from the back of the truck, watching both Pezel and Anton do the same, strapping there tatty backpacks onto there backs so there hands would be free for the work they were here to do. Setting off in different directions they began to search the wreckage, keeping there eyes peeled for the people they were to bring back. 


	3. Chapter 3

Rick Miller lay deadly still, afraid to move in case he caused more damage than that already done. He risked the opening of his eyes and blinked slightly, it was dark. He looked around as far as his vision would allow without moving his neck, and closed his eyes again. He was still in the body of the plane, buckled into his chair that was now laying sideways in what he assumed had once been the aisle of the plane. Aside from the few upturned seats that hadn't been wrecked there was nothing that resembled the plane this had once been. There was nothing here but pure destruction. 

Agent Phillips had been startled when he came to, shortly after the plane hit the ground. He had come around quickly and said a silent thank you to God for allowing him to survive this crash. He was even more surprised when he moved and felt little pain. He had pulled himself up cautiously, after taking a moment to shove the heavy tree branch which had been lodged across his chest pinning him to the ground away. A quick assessment of himself told him he had one head wound which could be serious; judging by the blood pooling down his face, and a sprained wrist; that could possible be broken. He knew he was lucky to have these injuries, it was a miracle he was even breathing. 

He staggered out of the wreckage which had accumulated around him and brushed his clothes down gently, holding his sore left wrist against his chest softly. He then wiped the dirt from his eyes and allowed himself to peer through the thick darkness. The place was wrecked, and for a chilling moment he wondered if he was the sole survivor, how could anyone make it through this, he wondered, why am I even here? 

He carefully climbed over another tree branch and saw a leg coming out from under another upturned seat that was barely in tack, metal, leafs and a thick later of dirt scattered over it. He weakly pulled them away and let out a groan as he turned it over. It was Agent Quinn. He closed his eyes briefly as he saw the condition of his friend, it was a grotesque sight. A sharp piece of metal had caught him in the stomach, ripping his almost in two. He unnecessarily checked for a pulse, after finding nothing he gently closed the shocked eyes of his dark skinned friend. He was gone. 

Phillips allowed himself a brief moment to rest as he leaned on the back of his fallen friends chair and fought to hold the tears inside badly wanted to spill. He knew he needed to be moving, looking for survivors and the suspect, but he couldn't. He was no longer concerned about the awaiting fate of millions of people or the traitorous women who could prevent it. He took a deep breath as he prepared himself to move onwards; he had never felt so totally alone before. He pulled himself together as he told himself there had to be other survivors, he needed to find them. 

Miller herd the sound of movement some way over to his right and held onto the hope that the rescue teams were here. He saw his co-worker Phillips climbing through the wreckage and felt the warmth of hope. He tried to move to get his friends attention but the pain was overwhelming, every muscle in his body seemed to spasm at once, warning him he couldn't do this. Phillips glanced over in his direction but didn't see his friend that lay underneath the mess. He moved onwards towards the front of the plane, pushing away obstructing obstacles as he went. Miller felt his fear rise as his friend moved farther away from him. He tried to call out but his mouth couldn't comply with the task, no sound was made. 

He realised he was going to die here before he herd the new movement from behind him. He tried to move again but began coughing instead. The coughs alone were inflicting inhumane pain in his chest and he knew he was seriously injured. He watched as a man he didn't recognise caught his eye and came over, pushing the wood and plastic away in an attempt to free him. Miller watched, knowing something wasn't right. This couldn't be search and rescue, they would not be here so fast. The man was talking to him, gently trying to reassure him he was going to be all right, but Miller felt the fear rise, he knew he wasn't going to make it home this time. 

Kalah talked to the man as he opened his backpack and began rummaging through it for his palm pilot. Miller, the man said his name was, he didn't recognise it. He pulled out his hand held computer and scrolled through the pictures and names that were stored in it. It took over five minutes to do this, there was a lot of information stored inside the small device. He reached the end of the list and dropped his device it back into the satchel. Miller wasn't watching him now, his eyes were shut - he knew what was going to happen. 

Miller silently prayed Phillips hadn't been spotted and was out of sight by now, so that he could either escape or attack. He herd the click of a weapon and stayed still, his eyes shut, his mind both praying for his fellow comrades while taking him some place else. He didn't feel nor hear the slug as it tore through his skull, taking him away from the wreckage for good. Kalah smiled as he placed the small handgun back in his waistband, the silencer still screwed on it. Nobody would have herd a thing, they still had the advantage of surprise. 


	4. Chapter 4

Phillips staggered around another big bulk of plastic that was burning, and after passing it he saw that the bulk of the plane had actually been split into two. Moving forward slightly he got onto his hands and knees, weary of his injured arm, and pulled himself through the tight gap in the plane and out into an opening. The rest of the plane was barely a foot away, it was as though the plane had split upon impact. Not separating completely, he now realised, it was still joined together by a single jagged piece of metal. 

He shuffled to his feet using this single piece the lean on, taking a second to assess his surroundings. It was an incredible sight, he was inside the plane, yet he was out in open land, he could feel the sun beating down on him. Two more steps and he would be back in the darkness, he didn't hesitate as he took those two steps, then pushed himself back into the rest of the plane. He needed a few attempts to get over some type of cart that was blocking his path, but soon enough he was in. 

Now past the obstacle he leaned on an undamaged seat and looked around dazed. He hadn't thought it possible, but this sight was even more horrific than the one he had just left. For a brief moment he longed to be back there alone, unaware of the carnage that awaited him. Without moving he could spot two bodies, one burnt to a crisp, the other deadly still and bloodied. He knew both were dead but the sad thing was that he couldn't identify them - they were unrecognisable. 

He couldn't take it, it was too much for him to handle. He tuned back and climbed out to the small opening, rushing outwards into the open land where he collapsed to his knees and began to vomit, silent tears streaming down his face in terror. He finished vomiting and cradled his head in his hands, sobbing loudly, unconcerned with anyone seeing his display of emotion - it wasn't like anyone was here anyway. 

After calming down he mustered what little strength he had to look around him now he was clear of the centre of the wreckage. There was still rubber and plastic and other materials spread about everywhere, one was aflame, others weren't. He got to his feet and wandered around the back of the plane, now looking over the other side of it. It was a similar sight, but something caught his eye, there was a ditch just a few feet to the left of the plane. 

He stalked over, cautiously telling himself there could be another friend lying dead at the bottom if it, in the hopes of bracing himself to reduce the impact. He made it to the top and looked down, it was only a few feet deep, mud and bushes, and a lot of blood. He took a few steps down the steep embankment and strained his sight as he realised he could see bodies, at least two, possibly three, right at the bottom. His breath caught in his throat in pure joy as he realised one of them was clearly moving. He took another silent step down and felt his joy drop like a brick tossed into a river, it was her. Nina Myers. Out of all of the possible casualties here, she had to survive. The irony, he thought sadistically, as he pulled out his gun and cautiously took another shaky step closer, smiling as he realised she was complete unaware of his presence. 

The smile was short lived as he realised what she was doing. She was still cuffed to her seat, but her hands were free. Fate had somehow thrown her and Bauer into the ditch, Jack coming from his seat at some point throughout the journey. Now here she was, rummaging through his pockets, he guessed she was looking for a gun or a key to the cuffs to free herself. She wouldn't be getting either, he thought as he coughed to get her attention. 

Nina let a startled gasp escape her as she herd, and then saw Phillips stood behind her, gun aimed steadily at her head. Her escape was over before it had even began. She sighed defeated, before moving back slightly, showing him she would co-operate. He watched her steadily as he ordered her to place her hands on her head, she did. 

Confident Nina was no risk to him he let his vision wonder over Jack, silently hoping he was alive so he could handle Nina. He didn't know if he himself could deal with this and her, but Bauer could. He was the only one who knew her, they were like cat and mouse together. He saw Jacks chest was slowly rising and falling through his tattered cloths, an entire sleeve of his black jacket had been ripped off, and he was caked in dust and dirt among other things. 

Bauer was laid on his right side, unconscious, but Phillips could see no real damage. He tilted his head slightly as he waited, hoping he would suddenly wake up, but then he saw the blood. Pooling under his right side, not an alarming amount but given there situation he found it a concern. Due to Jack's position he couldn't see what was actually damaged, and he didn't know if he should risk moving him or not, he could trigger some other injury and make things worse. He couldn't take the risk. 

He sighed as he realised Jack wouldn't be able to help and now he had Nina to deal with too. He tore his glance away from Bauer and it fell on Nina, sat watching him patiently, a slight smirk on her lips. Phillips couldn't help but look away, it felt as though she knew every thought running through his mind, with that smirk of hers. It gave him chills. 

He took a step back with his eyes on the ground making sure his feet held him up, as he tried to silently assess his options. He didn't hear the sound of the silencer as it shot out the bullet from its chamber, but he felt the stinging sensation rip through his stomach. Stunned, he looked down and saw the blood forming on his shirt as a sudden numbness spread throughout his entire midsection. The gun was now resting loosely in his hand as he dropped to his knees, glaring over at Nina, furious he had let her do this to him. But then he saw the look on Ninas face, confusion and a hint of fear; her hands still sat on her head as he had ordered moments ago. 

She hadn't fired the shot. He felt a strange sense of satisfaction as he fell forward and the darkness spread, knowing it wasn't she who had done this. He closed his eyes a final time as he realised this nightmare was over, he wouldn't be alone anymore. 

Stood upon the edge of the banking Pezel spoke into his radio, his eyes never leaving the three bodies in the ditch. He instructed Kalah and Anton of where to find him, before dropping the black transmitter back in his bag. Still staring at Nina he began to clean his Gun against his tee, smoke still rising from the barrel. 


	5. Chapter 5

Kalah arrived shortly after Pezel radioed him, Anton following behind moving slowly in the heat. He still hadn't found anyone, well, alive that was. Kalah stood shoulder to shoulder with Pezel and an amused grin formed on his lips as he realised who was sat at the bottom of the ditch still chained to her chair. A large bruise was forming on her forehead but other than that she looked relatively unharmed. He took a confident stride down the hill and stopped a few feet away from her, positioned between her and Bauer. 

"Well well well, just what do we have here?" He paused for effect, knowing Nina wouldn't show fear even if she held it. He hoped for a look of apprehension or concern in the very least but got nothing. 

"Nina Myers... I shouldn't be surprised to find you here, with the people trying to prevent the thing you yourself worked so hard for. Do you have no honour?" He spat, his voice becoming more clipped as he got more aggravated with her presence, she must have sold them out. Nina didn't speak up to defend herself so he continued. 

"You know, he was suspicious of you right from the start, Mandras. I understood why, we all did; you have no allegiance to anyone but yourself. However, I convinced him you were good for the job, you had the information we needed, and when you were taken down, you gave nothing away. We were so sure of your skills, we knew we didn't need to worry. Now I'm thinking we overestimated you. This so called legend," he growled, "chained to a seat in a ditch. Doesn't exactly sound impressive, does it?" 

Again no response, he didn't expect anything more. He knew she would be running her situation through her mind, looking at it from all angles, deciding the best way to deal with this situation. She would be thinking out how to manipulate the outcome already. He just knew it. 

He paced around for a moment as he tried to calm down, he was sweating heavily and it wasn't just from the sun. Anton and Pezel stood still at the top of the hill there guns out, just waiting for the order. But they knew she wouldn't be killed, they were sent to bring back survivors and finish off the one they didn't need. Whether she was on your side or not, Nina was always an asset. 

"Who's this?" Kalah asked, pointing to Jack with his shoe, hoping the distraction would help him stay calm; he had been given an important task to complete, he didn't want to screw it up. 

"Jack Bauer." Nina said, no emotion in her voice. It sounded empty. 

Immediately Anton pulled out a small computer device and began scrolling through the list of names. He read through it twice then shook his head to Kalah, who cocked his gun. Nina realised his intentions and rapidly began to protest. 

"What are you doing, he is a highly regarded federal agent!" The sheer surprise at what they were doing was very clear in her voice. 

"You know how this works Nina. He isn't on the list. We don't need him." 

"He isn't on the list because he has been inactive over a year. He still holds a vast amount of classified information despite this. You can use him," she added, unsure of why she was trying to save Jack. After the way he had tried to humiliate her earlier on the plane, she should be watching this with glee. But she couldn't, she just didn't know why. 

She put it down to the mere fact that she knew these people would not be pleased to see her, but with Jack around the odds of her staying alive were increased. As much as he would like to kill her, she knew he wouldn't. He still had to think of the millions of people her information could save. She needed him if she was going to survive this. 

"Why are you so desperate to save him, if he is a fed?" Kalah asked, genuinely confused. He didn't wait for an answer, he knew they had to hurry things along. He tuned to his two men and ordered, "Anton bring the car, were taking them both with us. Pezel do another quick search for survivors, there's gotta be more than these two." 

The two men hurried away and Kalah crouched down next to Nina, she didn't take her eyes off his gun, she wasn't going to miss her chance to escape if it came. Only it didn't, Kalah knew her too well to make a slip like that. 

"If he is useless, he'll get a bullet. Just like you," he taunted mockingly, "only you might get one anyway, for p!ssing Mandras off by being involved in this mess. I can't wait to see the look on his face when he sees you here. Your supposed to be in prison. It's not hard to figure out what's happening here, he will want to burn you at a stake." 

Nina let a small smile form on her face, showing him his words were ineffective. It worked, as he stood back up and began pacing again, his eyes falling on her and Bauer every few seconds. He finally herd the sound of the jeep and relaxed some, the sooner they were out of here the quicker they could assess the damage done to there plans. From there on they could work on making sure there hard work pulled off. This day would go the way they planned, to the tiniest detail, he would make sure of that. 


	6. Chapter 6

Kalah's eyes never left the two figures before him as the sound of the jeep got closer. It finally pulled to a stop at the top of the ditch, a clear trail of dust in the air from its path; it was designed to go off road, Nina noted. Anton climbed out of the vehicle and waited, he knew he would need Pezel's help to get the body up the hill and into the back of the truck. Kalah continued his pacing, feeling slightly more comfortable knowing Anton was watching her too. He may have the gun, but he knew that when it came to Nina you were never in control. 

He cast another glance at the man who hadn't moved an inch. His breathing was even, telling him that he was indeed unconscious. He knew he would have to explain the mans presence to Mandras as he wasn't on the list, yet the way Nina had pleaded to save him told him that, in the very least he could use him to get to Nina. Or maybe he really was valuable, and she was giving him up to save her own skin; given Nina's nature, the latter seemed much more plausible. Either way, he thought, despite deviating form the plan, they would benefit from bringing the man back with them. 

The radio in his pocket cackled, drawing his attention. He held it up to his ear to hear Pezel's voice better, the line wasn't too good, they would have to invest in some new equipment soon. With the money today's job would bring in, he was certain they could afford it. 

"I found one alive, well, for now he is anyway." He knew what Pezel was asking of him, if they were to bring him along or not. Even if he was on the list, they would be asking questions. He silently cursed at himself for letting Nina take over, he hadn't even noticed it, but already he was running about doing things the way she wanted. He hated that about her, the way she could manipulate people to doing something you would never do, and you did it, yet sometimes you didn't even realise what you were doing. Nina to a tee, he thought angrily. 

"Is he on the list?" 

"I don't think so, but his face is pretty messed up anyway, so I can't be sure." 

"How badly injured is he?" 

"Pretty bad." 

Kalah waited in silence for a moment as he thought, brushing his curly tangled hair back behind his ears with one hand. "No. Dispose of him. You found anyone else?" 

"No. They are all dead." 

"Okay, take care of him then meet us back here, were going back to base."

He shut the radio off and began his pacing once more. Killing the unknown was the right move, they could explain away one extra man, but if they brought back two Mandras would wonder what he was playing at and he couldn't afford to lose this job, not this late in the game after everything they had worked for. That would be unacceptable. 

Pezel trudged through the undergrowth and stepped over another chunk of plastic before steadily climbing down the ditch, already knowing what he was to do. Anton followed his league, making sure not to brush against Pezel who's hands were covered in the rich substance that was blood. Kalah stepped to the side so he was directly behind Nina, and watched as Pezel grabbed Bauer's upper body from behind, gripping him around the armpits, unconcerned with the blood that Anton was clearly weary of. Bauer's arms flailed around as he was dragged up the hill, Anton struggling with his legs which he couldn't get a grip on as well as his friend had. 

After a rest at the top of the hill they moved him again, both struggling to lift Jack up high enough to roll him into the back of the open pick up truck. After counting to three they both heaved him up in it then shoved his immobile body over the cold and dirty base. They then climbed up themselves and dragged him to the far end, next to the separate area where the two seats sat sectioned off from the rest of the vehicle. 

Kalah followed behind them with Nina at gun point. She struggled to climb up onto the open tailgate of the pick up, so Anton grabbed her cuffed hands and pulled her in, seating her next to Bauer, who was now splayed out on his back, his head lagging to the left, not facing her. Pezel sat a few feet away with his gun trained on the two, and Anton climbed back out, noticing the smeared blood trail from where they had dragged Jack across it. There wasn't too much, he reassured himself as he fastened the tailgate back up, and if there was, that would be Kalah's problem. He checked the back was secure then climbed into the drivers seat and sped away from the crash site, back to there current base. 

Anton sped over the rocky land unconcerned with the bumps, they all knew of the strict time issue. Pushing the speed to 80, which could be dangerous for such uneven roads he assured himself they would be long gone before the rescue teams found the plane. In the back Pezel and Nina clung to the sides of the pick up to try and soften the jerking about the harsh terrain was causing them. Jack was sliding about, his head repeatedly banging against the hard flooring, nobody doing anything to try and stop it. 

Through the blanket of fog Jack could feel his head rumbling against the cold material, he was slowly coming too. 


	7. Chapter 7

Jack felt himself coming too, the bumpy journey bringing him out of his deep slumber. He opened his eyes tiredly, squinting from the pain he felt in his side. He looked as far as he could see without moving and saw he was in the back of a moving vehicle. He didn't know what that meant, nor did he know who he was with. He closed his eyes as the pain in his side became stronger, he assumed he was injured. He stayed still despite the pain the ride was encouraging, he couldn't see anybody, so for all he knew he could be with the enemy. Being awake without them knowing was surely an advantage, if he had indeed been captured. 

His eyes stayed closed but he found it hard to stop himself from moving to a more comfortable position. To take his mind away from the pain he went through what he could remember before he had woken up. Nina and the plane going down were his last thoughts, everything was black after that. At least he had survived the crash, he knew how lucky he was for that alone - although he didn't feel particularly happy, the crash was supposed to be his get out clause, yet he was still here. Was someone trying to tell him something? 

His mind wandered to Nina and his thoughts lingered on which he would prefer, the crash killing her or her survival like his. It would be good, knowing she had died without getting her pardon and he wasn't responsible, yet he knew he should hope she had survived as they needed her information. He tried to tell himself that was why he wanted to her alive, but he knew it was a lie - he would never be satisfied with her death unless it was by his own hand. 

The thought of killing her lingered in his mind as he drifted away and suddenly he was in the CTU parking garage again, over a year ago. He could still feel the gun shaking in his hand as he pressed it into her face. He was furious, he thought he would throw up he was that angry, he still couldn't comprehend what she had done. But he hadn't killed her then, he would never forgive himself for that... But the next time he was given his chance, nobody would be able to talk him down, he was certain of it. 

Nina leaned over as Jacks head bounced against the hard surface once more and she saw he was still out of it. She watched his face for a moment, he was clearly in pain, physical or emotional she didn't know. But if he was dreaming he would come around soon. She didn't know if that was good or bad. While he was out of it she could use him to her advantage, but if he was awake, then he could try to spring the tables on her. 

A sudden thought hit her and it chilled her to the bone; they both needed each other if they were to survive this. She began to worry as this thought entered her mind, maybe he wouldn't want to play, maybe his death would be worth getting rid of her too. She felt her hands start to tremble but she shook away the fear, Jack could do what he wanted - she still had a few cards she could play with Mandras if she needed to save herself. 

She looked around the land they were cutting through, the earth wasn't as bumpy now. She went to lean over the edge of the truck to see if they were on a tarmac road but Pezel started shouting at her to stay still, waving his gun at her in a threatening gesture. She stayed seated, her eyes now fixed on Pezel, he looked away first. She looked his down, he still had blood on him from earlier, he hadn't bothered to clean it up. 

She thought about who the man he had found and killed could have been. When he had radioed Kalah she hadn't been able to hear much of what he was saying, except that the man was unrecognisable. He hadn't had a chance, whoever it had been, probably another fed too, she thought unconcerned. She had to laugh at the irony of it though. Out of everyone on the plane, at least 15 agents, only she and Jack had survived. Even more suspiciously they were the least wounded, sure something was wrong with Jack, but she was fine other than a few bruises. It was slightly creepy, how fate had thrown them together for the second time this day. 

As the truck approached a barn she let these thoughts run around her mind, how very unsettling it was that only Jack and herself had been allowed to live. He probably didn't care if he had died or not, and she had no misconceptions about herself, if anyone deserved to die in that crash it was her. Surely there was some bigger reason they had both been saved? She crossed the thoughts out of her mind, they were unnecessary right now. As the barn doors were opened by somebody from the inside Nina realised that there was no real reason why it had to be them, it was a coincidence, nothing more. She had to focus on getting out of this situation, rather than analysing why she was in it at all. 

The truck pulled to a stop inside and the doors were closed. It was dark now, a stark contrast to the bright sun she had been faced with throughout the ride. The tailgate was unfastened and Pezel grabbed the chain between the cuffs and dragged her to the end and then down to the ground. She stumbled at first but caught her footing. As she straightened up she saw the frame of somebody approaching her. 

It was too dim to make out his features, but she could tell who it was by the walk. The tall confident stride, the way the arms were hung at his sides, as though he had jut come away from a heavy gym session. It was Mandras. She took a slight step back as her mind started to rush around with frantic emotions, explanations and tactics which would hopefully save her. He stood at arms length from her, a sick smile on his face. Nina held it, her expression calm, the trademark smirk on her face. On the outside he didn't faze her, on the inside, she was wondering if she would make it out this time. 


	8. Chapter 8

Nina took a second to look Mandras over now he was within viewing distance. He was just as big, physically, as he had always been. His biceps were bulging under his tight tee. For a split second she wondered if the tee was simply too small or if he had done it on purpose to make him look bigger. It didn't matter, she thought, he was clearly still working out on a daily basis. His face was still the same square shape, the same grey eyes bore through her and the same short buzz cut she had once urged him to grow out sat neatly on his head. 'Just a little longer,' she could remember saying to him, 'and it will make you look so much better and less of a military psycho.' He still hadn't taken her advice. 

"Mand-" 

She started to call his name, slowly, seductively even; but the back of his hand clipped her across the cheek. The impact whipped her head to the side and she stumbled back some, before one of the men from earlier pushed her forwards again. He was still quick, despite his size, too quick. And clearly angry. This wasn't good. 

Jack lay completely still, nobody had touched him since they arrived. He had woken once more as he had herd the sound of large door being closed shut, the wood had been slammed together and locked, thus waking him. He kept up his earlier pre-tense of being asleep up and didn't move a muscle. Now the vehicle wasn't moving he felt so much better, he didn't feel anymore pain. He worried for a second that maybe that was because the area had gone numb, but after tensing at the thought he felt a slight twinge. That wasn't the case, he thought slightly relieved, if it were, he wouldn't have a chance in hell of escaping, for he would be seriously injured. 

He herd movement not far from him, someone was being pushed around, he could hear the shuffle of the persons cloths and then the stumble, maybe he hadn't been taken alone. Then her herd her voice. Only for a brief second, but it was enough. It was the same voice he dreamed about every night, it was undoubtedly her. Nina. For a moment he wondered if this was all a sick joke, but he knew that was impossible. They had both survived, it was unbelievable. 

Once the initial shock wore off he listened for any more sounds but herd nothing. Nina had clearly been assaulted and it sounded as thought the attack had quietened her. He took the silence as a chance to think about this situation, he had been taken with Nina, that could mean only one thing. They had taken him for the same reason, information. The thought didn't stick right though, why would they take both of them if they needed data, when he was the only one who held it. If these people were enemies of Nina, then why the hell would they need him? Something odd was going on, he could feel it. He knew he could do nothing until he had gathered all of the information he could about his situation so he simply did nothing except stayed still. There was nothing else he could do, this was out of his control. 


	9. Chapter 9

Thanks for the reviews everyone, I love hearing your thought about this fic! 

Nina stared at Mandras, angrily now. She realised that this meet between them was going to be business, Mandras would not take there history together into account. This made it difficult, for he would already be prepared for her attempts to manipulate him, this would make it even harder for her to gain some sort of control over him. He would expect it and pull away, preventing her from getting a hold of him, like she did the last time they were together. 

"Nina Myers, I never thought I would see you again." 

His voice was deep, it seemed to echo around them in the large spacious barn. She knew for certain now, that this was bad. He was trying to intimidate her, but he already knew there was no need for this tactic. They were both aware that she knew what he was capable of, this was just his way of showing her that there past wouldn't be taken into account. He wouldn't go easy on her. Plus he was throwing in a warning too, that he was displeased with her. She knew he didn't normally speak this way, just with people on the other side of the line he had drew for himself. She could still hear his gentle almost soft voice that he would use after the long day of planning together, on the brink of exhaustion. He was putting up an unnecessary act of trying to scare her. She knew this and it still scared her, as it illustrated just how much trouble she was in. 

Mandras took a step away and circled round her like a predator playing with its victim. She didn't squirm she stared straight ahead, a knowing look on her face. Why was he trying to play mind games with her, when they both knew they wouldn't work? She guessed it was his way of trying to break her down, layer by layer. Only it wouldn't work this way, and he knew it. 

"Haven't changed much, have you?" He asked as though making a subtle observation. Nina didn't answer, but her eyes held his gaze as he stopped in front of her once more, done looking her down. He frowned when she didn't answer him and moved over to the back of the truck to preoccupy himself. The longer he left Nina waiting, the more stir crazy she would become. It was something they both knew from there time spent working together, Nina hated not knowing what was to happen in general, surely this would be intensified when applied to her own fate? He grinned wickedly to himself as he paused for a moment, Nina hated having no control, and right now, he held all of the cards. 

Taking a minute to calm himself from the laugh that had erupted after his realisation of his power he held over Nina, he signalled to Anton and Pezel to get the other body from the back of the truck. They climbed in without hesitation and each grabbed an arm of the unconscious man. They dragged him to the edge of the truck then carefully placed him on the floor a few feet away from where Nina stood. Jack tried his best to keep his act up, but it was difficult with the pain that flared up in his side as they moved him. He hissed once or twice throughout his short journey but thankfully nobody herd. When he herd the deep voice order the men to wake him up, he realised he had no choice but to be 'woken.' 

Kalah leaned over the man and rolled him onto his back before shaking his shoulders. Slowly the man found consciousness, moaning under his breath before squinting through his eyes. Jack made to shut them again, but another pair of hands slapped his across both cheeks, forcing him to stay awake. Jack opened his eyes again and peered up at the people stood around him. He recognised none, except for Nina. He felt his anger flare up as he saw her but pushed it to the back of his mind. He would keep it there until he had to opportunity to kill her. When that chance came, he would unleash all of his demons and to hell with the consequences, she would pay dearly. 

Two men stood on either side of him, the other two moved back over to Nina. The largest of the men who was clearly in charge kept glancing back at Jack as he spoke to Nina. They were only a few feet away but the man was talking too quietly for anyone else to hear. Jack realised that the deep tempo of the mans voice was preventing the sound to carry across to his alert senses. As they spoke the man continued to glance over his shoulder at Jack, as though he was shocked or uncertain of him. Nina nodded every now and again, before vocally responding every few seconds, her words were also too quiet for him to make out, which frustrated Jack. 

The conversation ended very suddenly and the man took a step away, he appeared to be in deep thought yet struggling to handle his temper at the same time, his face was red. 

"Move them downstairs," he ordered the older looking man of the three who were scattered around them. A man grabbed each arm and Jack was pulled to his feet, too fast for his wounds liking as the hot pain stabbed through his side. The men seemed to sense his discomfort and walked slowly with him, despite this each arm was held in a vice like grip. Nina was pushed ahead by the third man, to the end of the barn. Jack watched as the man opened up a trap door on the barn floor, then headed down the steep steps underground, Nina in the lead. Jack was taken the same way, the steps were very narrow, single file would be the only way to get down. Jack looked back for the large man but he wasn't in sight, he felt a smirk form on his face as he realised this could be his chance to escape. 

His heart dropped when the men stopped him before they went down the stairs. One pulled out a pair of black plastic cuffs from his grubby trouser pockets. They brought Jack's hands before him and fastened them together tightly, Jack winced as the skin was roughly nipped together on his own dirty hands. Still, he thought hopefully, having his hands before him was an advantage compared to having them restrained behind his back. 

The first man who seemed to be the youngest with his shaved head and pierced eyebrow went down the steps slowly, careful not to slip down the steep and damn concrete. The second man produced a gritty gun from his waistband and waved it in Jacks face before pushing him towards the secret passage. No words were spoken, but Jack clearly understood the meaning behind the gesture. 

He could feel the mans presence behind each step that was taken and knew he would not escape now. With each step he took there was a twinge in his side, running now would be a death wish, and he couldn't fulfil it knowing Nina was still breathing. The light got darker the deeper they went, and Jack noticed the bulbs that hung from the ceiling every few feet were dull, almost ready to go out. He silently wondered how often they used this place. 

Once the descent down the steps was complete Jack was surprised to see that this underground bunker type place was rather large. There were three metal doors directly to the left of the passageway, and another long alleyway like passage leading to the right. He was taken to the third door on the right, farthest away from the staircase. The young man opened the door, there was no lock, Jack noticed. The second man, gun still in hand, motioned for him to enter the room and he did. Although he had been captured he hadn't been hurt, he wasn't going to make things harder from himself, he would co-operate when he could. 

Four steps into the room and he was at the back wall, it was small, very small, and square in shape. Four damp, grey concrete walls. The room was merely big enough for him to lie down in, if he did so he was sure he wouldn't be able to stretch his frame out. He turned around to see the door shut. He felt another flash of disappointment as he realised there was no handle on the inside, it could only be opened from the outside. 

He spun around in the room, taking in his surroundings. The ceiling was high and a single dull bulb hung from it, too high for him to reach. The walls were cold and the ground was made of hard dirt. He felt slightly claustrophobic in the small place and was slightly thankful for the fact that it was completely empty, for any objects would have taken up space. He leant against the roughly textured wall before sliding down to the ground. He didn't care about getting dirty, he was already coated in muck from the plane crash. 

He stretched his legs out and placed a shaky hand over his side which had been bothering him since he had woken up. He lifted his torn blue shirt up and saw a deep gash on his right side, along the rib cage. It was a few inches long and would need stitching. Dried blood coated the skin around the area, and his shirt, but given the circumstances it could be much worse. 

He pulled his shirt back down and replaced the hand over his wound, his eyes closing as he tried to rest. He thought of Nina and how she was involved in this, the people clearly had a past with her. He tried not to think of there reasoning for taking him, it wouldn't bring him any comfort. He didn't want to sleep but he couldn't prevent it from taking him, his mind was tired and he was physically exhausted. His mind drifted to the rescue teams he knew would be in the area, he could only hope they found the trapdoor, if they even searched the barn that was. 


	10. Chapter 10

Nina paced around the small room she occupied alone, it was identical to the one Jack sat in and although she didn't know it, right next door. The room to the left of Nina's was larger, she knew, built for the purpose of holding more than one person under special circumstances, like playing people off of each other for example. She banged the palm of her hand against the metal door angrily, she knew there was no way of escaping the room, but she also knew there were no cameras in the containment rooms so she could vent her frustration privately. Allowing Mandras to see her so worked up would peak his curiosity, she never showed emotion, it just wasn't how she worked. 

Calming down some she brushed her hair back with her hands before folding them tightly against her chest, each fist clenched tightly. She wondered where Jack was now. Was he in a room like she, or had they already taken him to interrogation? She couldn't believe Mandras was treating her this way, he obviously knew she had been involved in the efforts to stop the bomb and was angry. She was slightly off guard by this tactic, she would assume him to either use his anger and interrogate her or give her a chance to explain herself. The fact that he did neither made her anxious, it was out of character for the man she had known so well at one point. 

She couldn't help but let her mind wonder to Jack, had he already spoken to them? This wasn't good, she needed to know what was happening, she needed the control. Jack could tell them any tale to make them kill her or keep her alive. Hell, Jack was capable of convincing them to let him kill her himself. As much as she needed to talk to Mandras to get a reading of what he was doing, she knew it was more important she speak with Jack. 

She needed to make him listen, spin some story to him which would hopefully make him more liable to co-operate with her needs. Jack sending her to prison after helping her make it through this would be better than being on the receiving end of Mandras' wrath. Nina grinned to herself as she realised what she was saying, she never realised how desperate to live she was until now. 'Well,' she thought cockily, 'I've always been a survivor, today will be no different.' She stopped pacing and leant against the wall sulkily, she really needed to know what was happening on the other side of the damn door. 

Mandras sat behind the grimy metal desk in the communications room. Kalah stood before him, his hands clasped behind his back as he listened to his instructions. He was to lead both of his men back to crash site where they would monitor any activity there. When they were ready to leave with the packages they needed to know with absolute certainty that they would not be intercepted by any rescue teams. If they found them, everything they had planned would fail. Kalah nodded his understanding before leaving the room, Pezel and Anton wordlessly followed him up the stairs towards the jeep they had earlier arrived in. 

Now alone Mandras opened up the laptop sat on the desk before him. He double clicked on his filing programme and after entering a series of passwords a white box comes up against a blue background. He typed in the name JACK BAUER slowly, making sure to make no mistake. After entering the name he pulled out a computer stick from his trouser pocket and clipped it onto the side space on the computer. After the relevant information has been transferred to the stick Mandras placed the decrypting disk into the hard drive. 

He sat in silence throughout the twenty minutes the disk needed to complete its task before taking the stick out. He left the disk in but shut down the programme, before re-plugging the stick in. Almost instantly black typed words began to appear on a white background, it looked like any ordinary word document. The government logo and classified warning at the top of the page were the only things that proved otherwise. Satisfied, he shifted in his seat leaning forward on his elbows as he began to read Jack Bauers classified government file. 

He had to laugh at the irony of the situation, he was using the programme Nina had developed for him; and the results may very well not work out in her favour. If this Bauer turned out to be useful he could try and turn him, or simply learn of any intel the man may know of regarding the bomb. However, if there was something else there, he would use it to exploit either one of them, even both if he could, playing them off each other would be easy - he just needed to study the file before he could make a decision. He had no reservations about using or hurting Nina, she was a tool, like everybody else, and if she was fit for the job he would use her. If not, he would do what he would do with any other tool - dispose of her. 


	11. Chapter 11

Mandras read the file through twice, amazed and impressed with what he had learnt about the man they had. He was slightly unsure of how to proceed with him though, turning him may be difficult, but then he could use Nina to get the man to co-operate. Of course there was the problem of how much he knew about stopping the bomb, but his file showed he had passed the resistance course well. This didn't mean anything though, a test was nothing compared to the real thing. He could get probably get the information out of him eventually, but the time issue was the problem, they needed answers fast and his file indicated he wouldn't give them. 

As fascinating as the idea of breaking or using Bauer was, he wasn't too sure if either play would be successful. Maybe he could use it to get Ninas help instead. He knew the threat of letting Bauer do what he wanted with her could make her tell him just what she had confessed about the bomb. If that didn't work, he could interrogate her himself. He entertained the idea of using both of them with the threat of allowing one to kill the other if they didn't co-operate, but that was too risky. As doubtful as it seemed, they could work together then, both refuse. He knew that there history meant he could easily play them off of each other but he didn't know how he would gain from that. 

He realised he wasn't going to be able to make a decision so soon, so he would wait until he met up with Peter at the base in a few hours. Peter would make the right decision, and that way he would be safe if this somehow went wrong. Until then, he thought, he could speak with the two of them, see how they reacted to him and get a general reading. He was intrigued with the thought of putting them both together but the double containment room didn't have a camera so he would have to wait for that, it would be a good show to watch. 

Glancing at his watch he saw that Kalah and his men had been gone well over an hour. He sauntered over to the radio station and called out to Kalah. 

"Sir?" He herd through the crackle. 

"What's going on?" 

"We can see the entire area from our three locations. It appears a team did come, probably search and rescue, as anticipated."

"But?" Mandras encouraged. 

"They took a look around and took off pretty quickly. My guess is they saw the bullet wounds on the survivors and realised something was up. Were on our way back now, 10 minutes out. We figured you would want to move now, as whoever investigates the scene will probably be on there way soon."

"Okay. I'll get things ready here, you hurry on back. We move straight away." 

"Copy." 

After hanging up the radio Mandras began to pace. Was this the right play? The barn was at least twenty miles out from the crash zone, would the Feds even check it out, and if they did, would they find the hidden trap door? Fleeing sounded right, but wasn't that defeating the purpose of sending Kalah and his men out? He sent them so they would be certain nobody would find them, but now they were certain somebody would be looking and they would leave anyway? Something told him not to leave, but like the Bauer problem, he knew it shouldn't be his call. He picked up his cell and called Peter's number. 

The phone conversation was short, Peter was clearly angry with Mandras for allowing himself to get in such a situation. But he decided it best they stay, wait it out. If anybody did come looking, they would probably be people from forensics, not field agents, so they could be taken out easily. However, once the activity did die down Peter wanted them gone, and he was coming directly here to oversee it all, now as worried as Mandras about the entire situation. 

Slightly frustrated Mandras plugged his phone into its charger and slammed the lid of his laptop down. He hadn't even thought to ask about Nina and Bauer, he would have to wait. Kalah still wasn't back, so he decided to go and pay one of there guests a visit, hoping he would either find some entertainment from it or get the chance to unleash his anger. He didn't know which one to see and he didn't care, he decided he would just open a random door, he didn't know which rooms Kalah had separated them in. Part of him hoped he ended up with Nina, he really would like the chance to talk to her, but he decided he would let his fate decide who he see. As he pulled back the metal door he reminded himself that both were invaluable, he could kill neither. 


	12. Chapter 12

Jack was still on the ground with his back against the wall, his head lolling to the side. He was sleeping deeply when he was suddenly jolted awake. He jumped slightly before looking around the small room. He was breathing heavily and it took him a moment to remember what had happened and where he was. He looked around for some sort of intrusion which had woken him but saw nothing, it was his imagination. He felt his eyes droop some, and while he urged himself to get up and walked around to keep himself awake, his body couldn't comply, he was exhausted. He fell asleep once more, his hands falling on his lap, careful to avoid the wound. He found the deep slumber in moments. 

Nina was stood against the wall, her folded fists still clenched when Mandras swung the door open and casually leant against the frame, looking her up and down with a grin on her face. Nina stared at him as she pushed away from the wall and took a step forward so there was only a foot between them. 

"You never fail to interest me Nina, never. I thought today might be different, that you had burned out. But then I read Jack Bauers file... I have to admit, I'm intrigued, curious at the very least. Just why did you beg Kalah to bring him along, a very capable man, who has the perfect motive to kill you?" 

Nina's smirk formed on her lips as she placed her hands on her hips. She wasn't going to answer him as she wasn't sure herself. The silence lingered between them before Nina finally gave him what she decided would be a suitable answer. 

"Insurance."

Mandras laughed at her, she still had her wits about her, he had to give her that. Nina was angered by his laugh, she would not be mocked. She knew she was taking a risk, but it didn't matter anyway, she was in danger by simply being here alone, what was one more gamble to make? 

"Not insurance from him, Mandras. Insurance from you. With him here, you can't touch me. He wants me dead, he will do anything to do the job himself. I know him Mandras, just like I know you. You don't stand a chance, you can't stop him." 

Each word was spoken with a practised calmness which somehow managed to put Mandras down. He felt belittled by her words and his laughter quickly ceased, his trademark frown appeared on his face, the one that was a warning when Mandras wasn't pleased. 

She half expected him to attack her, put her in her place, show her who was boss. The banter between them was a power play after all, one he allowed her to win when he slammed the door shut quickly, his face reddening with anger. Nina herd the sound of another door opening and let out a slight cackle as she realised that Mandras had been fooled by her, once again he was being manipulated by her. What he didn't understand, perhaps couldn't, was that they were both her insurance. 

Mandras slammed open the door to Jack's room, his temper now boiling over. He stepped into the small dark space, noticing how his prisoner was sleeping on the floor. Cautiously, his mind warned him to be weary of a trick as he ordered the man to get up. Jack didn't blink and his breathing pattern didn't alter, he was asleep. Somehow the mans ignorance made him even angrier, if possible, he was now furious. He rushed forward and picked the man up with a fistful of his shirt and slammed him into the hard wall. 

Jack was jolted awake by the impact and was clearly disorientated. Mandras held up his weight while Jack composed himself, before taking a step back and - without warning - slamming his right fist into the restrained mans jaw. Jack was knocked to the floor by the stunning blow and blackness began to filter in on his vision. As he fought it away he realised the mans size wasn't for show, he was strong and had a very powerful punch. Mandras' laughing filtered through his senses and he looked up at the man towering over him, almost standing on his own crumbled legs due to the rooms lack of space. 

"Not so tough now, are you?" Mandras started mockingly, although his tone quickly changed back to the cold and deep voice he had herd used when talking with Nina. "Get up." 

He took a step back giving Jack more space as he tried to find his way to his feet, struggling without the full use of his arms which were fastened together at his wrists. He was wavering on his feet unsteadily when Mandras' fist shot out again, this time another powerful blow knocked his head back against the wall with a sickening crack. Mandras held Jack up this time as he looked around, dizzy from the hit. He realised he was too weak to fight back and Mandras was too quick and strong for him to take on in his current condition. All he could hope to do was minimise the pain the man was causing. 

Mandras watched with curiosity as the man before him managed to compose himself. He whipped the back of his hand across Jack face, successfully swiping his head to the side from the force of the action. Jack blinked but showed no pain, he eyes stared stonily back at his attackers, who was only just beginning to notice that Jack wasn't reacting to the beating the way he had intended him to. Slightly discouraged by this he began to mock the man to reassure himself. 

"So, your too scared to fight back?" 

He didn't get any response so he slammed his knee into the mans stomach and watched with a satisfied smile as Jack fell down on all fours sucking in air and letting out a slight cough as his lungs fought for air. 

"When I ask you a question, you had better answer me Bauer." 

Jack finally spoke, his words calm. "I see you spoke with Nina." As he spoke he moved so he was sitting up, his back against the wall and his knees drawn up to protect himself, certain Mandras would attack again. 

Mandras stared threateningly at the man by his feet, the anger he had just unleashed building up again. His first instinct was to hurt the man for his comment, but then he realised what words had been spoken and the meaning behind them. Nina. She was playing him, already. Even more frustrating was the fact that he had already told himself to be on guard for her games, yet he had missed this little trick of hers. Also annoying was the fact that this man, who hadn't even herd there conversation knew what she was up to. Yes Bauer had a history with her and knew what to expect, but so did he. He had been sloppy, he thought to himself angrily. 

He made sure Bauers door was securely shut before charging into Nina cell like a raging bull. She was still leaning against the wall, looking calm and relaxed. Without hesitation Mandras raised his large hand up into the air before bringing it down to slap her face, three time in all, stopping to grab her chin and force her eyes to meet his. 

"Try that again, you know you will regret it," he whispered calmly - knowing the calmness would scare her more than anything - before backing away. Glancing over his shoulder before he left her, he saw the smirk had left her face, and a hint of fear flickered through her eyes. Now satisfied, he left the room and headed back to his office feeling a little more refreshed. 

Thank you for the kind reviews and please keep them coming! 


	13. Chapter 13

Jack herd a door slam and assumed the man had given Nina a visit - he hoped so - it would show her that he could play her game just as well as she could. He stretched his legs out and pressed a hand to the back of his head, he was surprised to find no blood there; just a large lump where his head had connected with the wall. He was still dizzy from the blows he had taken, Mandras was a very powerful man; he knew he was lucky to escape from that episode with nothing more serious bumps and bruises. 

Mandras was heading away from the containment rooms towards his office when he herd the sound of footsteps hurrying down the stairs. He moved to greet Kalah as he returned with his men and then informed him of the changes and how they would be waiting it out. Until either Peter arrived or the rescue teams found them, there was nothing to do but wait. Kalah took his men to the recreation room where there was a television and a pool table but Mandras turned down there offer of tag team game of pool and stayed in his office. Never good at sitting around waiting for something to happen he opened up his laptop and began to read through Jack Bauers file once more, it had certainly been an interesting read the first time and the fact that he held this person prisoner made it all the more intriguing. 'All the possibilities,' he thought wickedly as he continued to read. 

Nina realised the floor wasn't as hard as had anticipated when she finally sat down; ignoring her need to be stood up and prepared in case anybody else came in as Mandras had. She was a little tired anyway, today she had done far more than what was expected of her while in prison; most days were spent asleep so today had been a real shock to her system. Still, old habits die hard, she wouldn't sleep. Her body would have to get its energy from elsewhere, her mind was too sharp to allow sleep, it always had been whilst on a job. Especially one as life threatening as this, she needed to keep her eye on all angles here. 

Mandras was a card she had tobe careful of when playing, he was potentially useful while potentially dangerous at the same time. Jack was another challenging paradox, she could gain his help as he would want to kill her, but unless she tried, death was all she was going to get. Death or death, what kind of options were those! She needed to appeal to one of them, she just wasn't sure which one would benefit her most, or had the better odds of being successful. Right now things looked dull from every angel. If it weren't for the bomb she would hope for CTU to find her, but death was imminent through them too, she would be taken to LA where she would certainly die by her own hand as she had played as big a role as anyone in the Nuke. 'What comes around goes around,' she thought, 'today's clearly my turn to be dragged through the mud.' The thought didn't bring comfort, it was more like desperation. 

After contemplating this for a moment she allowed her thoughts to turn back to Jack, she certainly hadn't expected to see him today. She grinned as she recalled how Mandras had instantly fallen for her trick, and even more so that Jack had also played him. Mandras coming back in was a message from Jack, 'you won round one, I got the second.' It also raised an important question, just who's favour would the third round fall in? She grinned even wider as she realised she didn't know the answer but she was more than up for the challenge. 

Mandras was slightly startled when his office door was slung opened and a figure walked straight in with no hesitation. He jumped up angry, Kalah and the men knew the chain of command here. He was about to voice his anger to the person when he realised who it was, immediately his anger subsided and was replaced with a mixture of fear and relief. 

"Mr. Kingsley, I didn't hear you come down sir." 

The two shook hands as Mandras moved from behind the desk. 

"Please Mandras, call me Peter. This is an equal partnership, and I don't intend to call you sir." 

"Or course Peter," said Mandras, knowing the man wasn't being entirely truthful. On the outside this was a 50/50 relationship, but deep down both of them know it was Peter who called the shots, he had the connections, money and the power to get things to done, Mandras was a few steps below. Still, they both kept up this charade despite the discomfort it caused. 

"How was the trip?" He asked, the silence between them was tense and Mandras wasn't comfortable with it. 

"Not good, we were tracked. There's government agents all over the place, many heading this way right now." 

Mandras was amazed at how calmly Peter displayed his revelation, there was almost a hint of amusement to it, as though this was some game to him. He closed his mouth as he realised his shocked reaction was showing, he didn't want to display any weakness to him, not even surprise. A feeling of dread grew in the pit of his stomach as he frantically wondered how they were going to do this, was this the beginning of the end of there plans? 


	14. Chapter 14

Mandras gathered control over himself, they needed to take action right away if the feds were indeed on there way. He was still unsettled by the way Peter had announced there arrival, it was as though he didn't care. Didn't he realise how important today was? After the anger at his partner subsided he thought about this a little more carefully; maybe Peter was relaxed because he was confident in his ability to solve this situation? This made him feel better as it was more believable that the alternative, and comforting too. 

This could be Peter's show, seen as the man was sure of himself. Right now Mandras wasn't concerned with a power play, if Peter wanted the control he could have it, so long as he cleared up this mess and put them back on the road to the results they needed. It never occurred to him that Peters relaxed facade was to do exactly that, show Mandras just who was in charge, despite this 'equal' partnership. 

"Well what do we do, fight them? I've got a pretty impressive ammunition room but there may not be enough of us to take them all on. I have three men did you come alone or bring a team..." He slowed his frantic ramblings to a stop as he realised Peter was grinning again, that cocky amused self confident grin that told you he had everything under control. 

Peter moved around Mandras, trying not to laugh as he realised the younger man was already asking him what to do, he was in charge here. He placed his silver briefcase on the desk and opened it up, taking out a small square device from its foam cushioning. He flicked a switch and it turned on, it was a monitoring device. Mandras moved closer to get a better view, the screen was small but the vision clear. 

"I installed it in the barn myself. We have a view of outside and inside. I left the two men I brought with me in the barn, they'll play dumb and get rid of the men coming. If anything happens, we will see it here. If we have to, we can take them out." 

Mandras nodded his head in agreement with the plan, his eyes never leaving the screen, he didn't want to miss a thing. Right now the two men were pulling the bonnet of the truck up, making it look as though they were busy for the agents who would be here soon. As flick of the switch and the screen switched to the outside camera, sure enough two men in suits were heading there way. They watched intently as they approached the barn with caution, there standard government vehicle parked a few feet away from the wooden doors. 

Jack pushed himself up on his feet as he felt himself shiver from the coldness of the room. He began to pace in the little space provided knowing that he would be in worse shape if he didn't move and the cold set in. His head was still aching but he wanted to be prepared in case something should happen. Prepared for whom, he wasn't sure. His captures, sure; he needed to protect himself. But he needed to be more than ready if he had the chance to get him and Nina out of there, then there was only one more thing he needed to complete... 

His pacing got faster as he thought about getting the chance, knowing he would have to let her live for the information she held, if it ever came to this. He had already stopped himself from giving in to his urge to kill her once today, and was terrified he wouldn't be strong enough if the opportunity repeated itself. Even more worry-worthy was the part of him said the action would be worth it, the consequence of losing her data. He shook his head to rid of the thought, he couldn't think like that, they needed her. He sternly reminded himself he would be responsible for the deaths of millions if he didn't save her. He just hoped that was enough to stop him if he got the chance - and boy did he crave that second chance... 

Mandras bit his lip as he watched the men enter the barn, it seemed that Peter was equally tense. The device didn't come with the luxury of sound but it was easy to comprehend what was happening. The two men flashed there badges at the startled men and then they spoke for a few minutes. All four men were smiling, it was clear that Peters men were being friendly to the intruders. After a few minutes had passed the two men walked the agents to the doors and let them out, but not before wishing them luck in there investigation and shaking hands. Mandras couldn't help but grin as he realised they were in the clear, Peter smiled at his reaction, 'That's my boys,' he chuckled in an amused voice. They were in the clear, nothing could stop them now. 


	15. Chapter 15

Peter kept the screen fixed on the view from the outside camera, even after the black car had sped away; they wanted to be certain there would be no surprises for them when they were ready to leave. While he kept watch Mandras jogged through the base to the staircase and after carefully climbing the slippers steps he opened up the trapdoor and let the two men who had fooled the feds in. They shook hands and introduced themselves, Mandras was pleased to see they were acting like hired help does, they knew he was the boss. He smiled, he didn't mind following Peter's orders, as long as everybody else was under his control. He could handle that. 

Mandras warned the two men of the condition of the stairs so they wouldn't fall down the steep passageway. Once safely at the bottom of the dimly lit area, right outside of the containment rooms housing Bauer and Myers, he took them down the next passageway to the recreation room, where he introduced them to his own men; Kalah, Pezel and Anton. They hit it off the way men in this sort of work do, friendly but cautious - you always had to look out for your own interests after all. Mandras left shortly afterwards, sure there would be no problem with the men and that they would work together fine. 

He arrived back at his office to see Peter sat behind his desk staring at his laptop screen intently. He silently cursed himself for being so careless, firstly for leaving it open and in plain sight, but even more so for letting Peter know what he was up to, he had ruined the surprise. 

"Interesting read?" Mandras asked, letting Peter know of his presence and covering up his doubt and anger at himself for his mistake. 

"Nothing I've not already read. Bauer was on the high profile list for some time, he has a very impressive record. I'm assuming theirs some reason for you having his classified government file on screen?" 

"Yes sir, um... I mean Peter. I have a perfectly good reason. You remember on the phone, I said that there was something I needed to talk to you about, but that we couldn't do it over the phone-" 

"Get to the point," Peter said, tired of his ramblings. 

"Of course. Well, we searched the wreckage and were able to bring back two people, both high targets. Jack Bauer is one of them..." 

"And the other?" He questioned, knowing Mandras was trying to build up tension to shock him when he revealed who it was they had, but he was failing miserably - his intentions as clear as crystal. 

"Nina Myers." 

Mandras expected some reaction, anything really, but all he got was an amused grin as Peter sank back in his chair, interlacing his fingers on his lap as the smile grew. 

"Interesting," he muttered, clearly happy with this result, already considering the many possibilities. 

"Yes. I thought you would be pleased." 

"Hmmm... We are to assume Nina was working with the government, they probably offered to let her walk away from her previous crimes if she co-operated... knowing Nina she jumped at the chance..." Mandras knew not to interrupt, Peter was clearly thinking out loud. "This is very interesting, the different possibilities, I'm just not sure which way is the best to play it..." 

Mandras finally spoke up, "I know I've been thinking the exact same thing, they are both potentially useful-" 

"Where are they now?" Peter interrupted, not interested with Mandras' words, he hadn't even been listening. 

"In two separate containment rooms." 

He waited a moment, running his thumb along the grey stubble which has grown on his chin., thinking his intentions through carefully. "Bring them to the interrogation sector, put them in an empty room - together. Restrained, Mandras, so they can't escape. There won't be any actual interrogation, not just yet anyway. We will need the men on guard - I don't want anything to go wrong here."

"What are you going to do?" 

"Get a feel for them. See how they react to each other... and how willing they are to co-operate." 

"I'll have them moved now." Mandras called moving towards the door. 

"Good," called Peter as he slammed the laptop closed, a smile playing over his pale lips. This would be fun. 


	16. Chapter 16

Mandras opened the door of the recreation room and signalled for Kalah to bring his two men, which he did with a nod of his head. He didn't say anything to Peter's helpers, this was his job and he would be sure to use his own men, that way he could be certain everything would run smoothly. It wouldn't hurt to keep the other men in the dark, either. He wanted to stay on top of his game, especially now he was working with Peter first hand. He couldn't blow this opportunity. 

He took them to the containment rooms and ordered them to take Nina first. Kalah opened the door, Anton and Pezel then entered the room. Her hands were already restrained behind her back with the tight plastic cuffs, so each of them grabbed an arm and roughly manoeuvred her out of the room. Kalah moved behind them with his gun out, listening to Mandras whisper instruction in his ear. Kalah made the appropriate signal to his men whom led the way. Mandras leaned against the wall, his broad arms crossed over his chest as he oversaw the whole thing; his presence seemingly intimidating Nina who kept her eyes straight ahead the entire time, not looking at him or where she was being taken. 

It took a few minutes to get to the right room, they needed one big enough to hold the two prisoners, and empty too, apparently there would be no actual interrogation until further orders were given. The room was large, and held barely anything other than a large metal table and two metal chairs at opposite ends, all three objects screwed to the floor. There was a shelf, also metal, on one of the walls but it was out of view from Nina, so she couldn't make out the few contents which sat upon it. She was pushed into one of the chairs as she looked around the room, and was surprised to see no mirror, interesting. 

Here hands were freed from behind her, but before she could consider trying anything Kalah's gun was pointed at her face, she would be stupid to make a move. Each arm was fastened to the chair with strong leather straps, as were her feet shortly afterwards. Once the men moved away she tested the strength of the bounds, they were tight, too tight to escape from. 'Oh well,' she thought grimly, 'we'll just have to see what dear Mandras is playing at now.' The three men left the room, certain she couldn't escape, and closed the door behind them, leaving Nina with her thoughts. 

Jack herd the sound of a heavy door opening and had moved away, assuming that the men were entering his room. He was wrong, which led him to one direct conclusion; they were moving Nina. He was instantly filled with panic and curiosity, what was happening? Was she working with them again, or was she too in the dark as to what they were doing? Had she cut a deal, what would happen to him? He calmed himself as he realised he would have no way of knowing the answer until they let him out, he just had to utilise his skills and wait for an opportunity where he could take advantage of the situation. His chest still rose and fell faster than before, as the thought of her getting away hit him. From here or fulfilling her pardon - freedom was something he couldn't give her, he wouldn't let her have it. 

He herd footsteps returning and assessed his situation, were they coming to kill him, or take him away? Should he try escape now? He thought through his situation quickly, he needed their attentions to be away from him if he were to escape; but if they were coming to move him he would be the focus. He needed them to think he wasn't a threat, or couldn't escape. He knew what he had to do, and although the direct consequence would be more pain, it would be worthwhile in the end. He jus hoped it wasn't the large man who had dealt with him before, he could still feel the ache in his head and the throb on his jaw where the mans powerful punch had connected. He reassured himself that if they were not coming to kill him, they probably wouldn't want him too damaged. He hoped not. He took a step back as the door began to open. 

The two men from earlier were stood at the door, the third behind them, the large one stood by the wall. He didn't have a chance, 'but that's the whole point,' he reminded himself. As Pezel and Anton moved through the doorway Jack charged. He ran at Pezel with full force, using his hands as best as he could, throwing him into his friend. They both fell to the floor, unprepared for the attack. 

Not giving anyone a chance to recover he charged at the next man, Kalah, who was starting to get into some sort of protective stance, but he wasn't quick enough, Jack jumped over the two fallen men, shoved the third out of the way before head butting him squarely in the face. He fell backwards, before crashing to the floor. 

Jack hadn't expected to get this far alone so he risked a quick look over his shoulder, the first two men were clamouring up from the floor angrily. He pushed himself away from Kalah and made to move again, but a fierce blow caught the back of his head, throwing him back onto Kalah, both men were now sprawled out on the floor. His vision went blank for a moment before he realised what was happening. The large man was hauling him up from the floor with ease, he realised as he blinked, he squeezed his eyes shut as the man slammed him face first into the wall, once, when he hit the second time he could taste blood in his mouth, the third time made him incredibly dizzy and by the fourth he was ready to pass out, which Mandras also noticed. He dropped his prisoner to the floor keeping his foot firmly in the centre of his back, pinning him in place while the three men hurried to compose themselves, angry that the man had got past them but also certain he wouldn't try it again, not after what Mandras had done to him. 

He lay still with his eyes shut, he assumed there wasn't too much actual damage as he couldn't feel any blood on his face, it was probably bruises but nothing serious. He realised this as the sharp pain in his face turned into more of a ache, joining the throbbing from his earlier encounter with Mandras. He didn't care, it served its purpose, that was all that mattered. 

The foot was removed and the same hands dragged him up to his feet, where he found it surprisingly easy to balance on his own. He looked ahead and saw all four men had there guns out now, and looked equally angry. Especially the large one who had administered his second beating of the day to Jack. He grabbed the collar of his blue shirt and directed him where they were going. As they walked Jack struggled to keep up, he raised his bound hands up to his face and gently ran his fingers over it, there was some swelling on the side of his forehead and his nose was extremely sore to the touch, but there was no blood and he was happy with that. Surprised too, Mandras could have easily caused more damage than he had. 

He was pulled to a stop and the same pair of hands that had been wrapped around his collar slammed him back against a wall as another metal door was opened, he wasn't sure where he was now, having been led down numerous intertwining passageways, and almost every door looked the same. 

The door was thrown open and Jack was shoved inside, the hand on his collar once more. The man forced him into a chair and cut the ties holding his hands together away. Kalah's gun was aimed at him, so he didn't resist the other two men who strapped his arms to the chair arms tightly, he sucked in a breath as the hard leather bit into his skin. They did the same with his legs, Mandras standing before him the entire time, blocking his view. Once they were sure he was secure, the three men backed away, but the large one stayed put. He glared at Jack, Jack keeping eye contact although part of him wanted to look away, the way the man was stood meant that the light was in his eye, hurting his eyes and adding to the headache which had got stronger since his 'attempted escape.' 

"Try anything remotely like that again, and I'll rip you apart, with my bare hands. Got it?" 

Jack stared at him, his mind considering the best response. He decided a little more defiance was needed before he submitted, then his submitting would be totally believable, and they wouldn't be as concerned with him disobeying again. 

So he continued to stare stonily at the man, who got tired of waiting quickly and slammed his fist into Jacks already fragile nose, finally drawing blood. Jacks head jerked back with the force of the punch and slammed into the back of the chair. He felt a desire to let the threatening blackness take over, but a hand ragged at his hair, pulling his head up, demanding attention. 

"Don't make me repeat myself," the same deep voice snarled. 

Jack opened his eyes slowly and looked at the man, before croaking, "got it," happy to submit. It would increase the mans confidence and save him the inconvenience of more pain. His head was now howling, his nose too, he needed to rest before he tried anything else. 

The man muttered a response before moving out of the way, no longer blocking Jacks view. Jack squeezed his eyes shut before opening them again, and finally looking around. He almost gasped in surprise when he saw Nina sat opposite him, strapped down in a similar way. He hadn't seen her as he was dragged in, he wasn't expecting this at all, but he didn't let the surprise stay on his face. His exterior stayed calm, but inside his pulse was racing once more. What was going on here? 

"I'll leave you two love birds alone for a while, I'm sure theirs a lot of catching up to be done between you," he laughed as he left the room, not bothering to bolt it shut, his prisoners were well restrained and couldn't move. 

Now alone the two stared back at each other. Neither spoke, words were not needed. Jacks cold stare bore into her as he stayed deadly still. They continued to stay that way, both daring the other to look away. Jacks face stayed straight, even when a slight grin formed on Nina's lips, the same one he saw earlier that very morning in CTU, while he was interrogating her. He felt the same anger now as he had then, but this time he managed to control it, he would save it and unleash it later, when it could be used for something productive. 

Thank you for the reviews, people. I appreciate hearing your thoughts about this! 


	17. Chapter 17

The silence was thick, it hung between them like tension, only it was more unnerving. He wanted to say something, anything; but he couldn't. Words wouldn't form in his mouth, so he stared at her some more, not letting the satisfaction show on his face as she finally looked away. 

It was a mere glance down at her lap, but it was enough - they both knew it. She had willingly given Jack the edge, but she was going to speak first, and take it back, show him how she could easily take control back. 

"That looks sore." A statement, he observed, probably aimed at his nose, which was still bleeding. But was there a hint of something else in her voice? Not sarcasm, perhaps it was a pinch of belittlement. She grinned, she could see he was trying to figure out her intentions, she wondered if he would pick up on the threat she was implying to him. 'Your hurt, these people know me, I can make it worse.' She guessed he did, he was a smart man. Jack still hadn't spoken, but he let a grin like hers form on his face, he knew what she was trying to do and he didn't give a sh!t. This was his show, he would run it - not her. 

"Ni-" 

"Shhhh," she interrupted loudly, getting his attention long enough to stop him from continuing his words. She smiled inside again - she had him, he was giving her the control, letting her cut him off and speak over him. 

"Nice place, isn't it... just a table and chairs... no mirror..." She spoke as though she was observing any normal room, on any given day. Jack got her drift and immediately scanned the room - there were no visible listening or viewing devices. Of course he understood that Nina hadn't been telling him this, she had been warning him that there could still be a hidden device, so he would be cautious of what he said. Not that he wouldn't have been careful before, he thought to himself angrily that Nina had given him this information. 

He closed his mouth and decided he would say no more, he wouldn't be a willing participant in her game. Before Nina noticed his change of tactics the door was thrown open and two men walked in. The first was an older men, dressed in a well tailored suit. By the way he held himself Jack could see he was a man of pride, and from the look on Ninas face he was probably a leading figure in the terrorist world. He smiled at the two of them, but said nothing. Jack recognised the man stood next to him easily, it was of course the man who had sent two beatings his way; he tensed his jaw unknowingly as he eyed him up with a stare cold. Jack averted his vision when he realised the elder man was looking at him intently. 

"Jack Bauer... Jack Bauer... I think your the last person I expected to bump into today. I assume your back working with CTU again?" Jack said nothing, if he said yes they may want his information, but if he said no, they could think that they had no use for him. So he stayed silent and decided to let them chose his fate, he wouldn't help them make any decision. 

"And Nina Myers... its been a while hasn't it?" He said looking at her, she too stared back, as Jack had, her face giving nothing away. "So, I think were right in assuming your helping the government, seen as you were captured with a federal agent, on a plane which had been requisitioned by the government? See, its been a while, Nina, but you haven't changed. Did they give you a pardon? Offer to free you if you stopped the bomb? I bet you jumped at the chance." 

"They offered me nothing and I told them nothing." She said blankly. 

"Really?" 

She didn't justify his question with an answer. 

"What if I don't believe you?" 

"You and I both know how big a part I played in this bomb, so you better believe that if I had helped them, the bomb would be squared away by now." 

Kinglsey said no more, she was making sense; why would they still have possession if she had indeed helped? 

"Then what's he doing here?" He asked, motioning to Jack. 

"I guess you'll have to ask Jack that one." 

Jack stayed silent, watching Nina as she worked, he could tell she was already up to something, she certainly had an influence over the two men holding them captive. She could use that to her advantage, or his disadvantage, he noted silently, not allowing himself to change facial expression, he wouldn't give nothing away. 

"So... Your saying your still in with us here? You may need to prove your loyalty." Kingsley said, grinning in amusement. 

"I have no loyalties with anyone but myself." 

They broke out in laughter at this, clearly impressed with her, it was the same old Nina. If she had something to hide she would be trying to get on their good side; but she wasn't. And Nina didn't bluff, thought Mandras, foolishly. 

Peter nodded to Mandras who walked over and began to free Nina from the chair, Kingsley moved over to Jack and began to speak with him quietly. 

"So what do we do with you? You probably hold a great deal of information, on the bomb and other matters. But then again Jack, your a man of many talents, you could be a very useful tool." 

'And you can keep Nina in line,' he thought quietly. 

"So just what do we do with you?" Jack said nothing, he didn't look at the eyes boring down onto him, he didn't know what to say, nothing would help him here, the situation had fallen to Ninas advantage. 

"I doubt Jack will be willing to co-operate, will you Jack?" She taunted as she stood up, now free from the chair, they hadn't restrained her. "But your right Peter, his information and skills are invaluable. He knows much more than me about the way the feds are tracking the bomb, don't you Jack? After all I was considered a traitor... and they don't give people like me classified information, I know nothing." 

Jack looked at her quizzically. What was she doing here? He raised an eyebrow in answer as he thought about what she was saying, was she helping him here? They wouldn't bother questioning her, yet she had given him information - she told then they needed to go to San Diego... That was a valuable piece of information, for there could be contacts involved in this there... Was she trying to protect that information? 

"I'll be back to chat with you about your options in a moment Jack, please excuse me." 

He left the room, Mandras and Nina following, the door closing tightly behind them. He leant his head back against the chair and closed his eyes, rapidly questioning how was he going to get out of this, and what Nina was playing at? The San Diego line could have been a safety net so she wouldn't be in the blast, and he could gain the upper hand here by telling Peter about this... But what if it really was a lead and he lost it? He couldn't take the risk, he would have to let Nina do whatever the hell it was she was trying to do right now, as much as he didn't want to give her the upper hand here; he had no choice. 


	18. Chapter 18

Jack sat alone in the chair, his face and head hurting more as each silent minute passed by slowly. He thought about Nina and what she was doing. Was she playing them, or playing him? He knew he had to be careful, he couldn't act against her in case she was indeed trying to help them; but of course he knew he had to watch his own back too, she would stab him there again if given the chance. 'This is getting complicated,' he thought irritated. He was getting stir crazy, the not knowing was hurting him the most. If they were going to kill him, or torture him, or free him, he just wanted them to hurry up and do it. He didn't care now, he was getting tired, he'd had enough and wanted out. 

He closed his eyes and hoped that CTU would have the sense to check the barn again, and find the bunker while they were at it. If they had the satellite coverage they would be found in no time... He realised there was nothing he could do right now, he had to let the specialists do there job and hope they didn't make as big a mess as they had last time he was involved with them. 'Don't think about that,' his mind quickly warned him - and he took the advice - allowing his mind to shut down and become void of any thought. He much preferred this state to the tornado of emotions which rushed through him whenever he thought about that day. 

His eyes automatically snapped open as he herd movement, the door was opened, which was followed by the sound of footsteps. He tried to turn his head around and see the intruder but his chair was positioned so he couldn't see that far. He didn't have to wait long as Mandras sauntered into view quickly, his imposing figure gazing down upon Jack. 

Jack looked up at him and could see something in his eyes, he looked unsettled. His fists hung loosely at his sides as they had before but his fingers were wavering ever so slightly, he wasn't as tense as he usually was. Jack decided to go with the feeling he had and try spook the guy some more. If it looked like he was willing to help the man, who knows, this could be very helpful and ultimately save his life; not that it was in need of saving, he just couldn't entertain the idea of being killed by Nina's associates. It would be degrading and would elevate the power of the myth that was Nina Myers. 

"There coming aren't they?" 

Mandras had been watching him but still jumped back when Jack spoke. He was on edge, Jack noticed. 

"What?" He demanded roughly, hoping to take control of the situation, knowing that he had let his guard down the second he flinched. 

"The federal agents, they're on there way again, aren't they?" 

"Again?" Mandras mocked, knowing Jack didn't know of the previous visit from the two men in black. 

"Yes. I assume some flunkies came by to check the area out earlier. Maybe you spoke to them yourself, assured them your hadn't seen any abnormal activity in the area, and then wished them luck with what they were looking for... am I close?" He grinned cheekily, Mandras' facial expression betrayed his thoughts - he was right - exactly right. 

"How do you know this?" Jack realised he now had the chance to play along, gain there trust, maybe they wouldn't view him as a threat, or would at least give him some slack for co-operating with them. 

"Its obvious. Search and rescue teams see the remains of the plane, they figure it was shot down so they call CTU. CTU send some people to investigate the hunch - they're probably the same people who spoke to you or one of your men. They notice that two key people from the flight are missing; and call in the specialists. I'm betting they sent the top dogs this time, the FBI, CIA, DOD, CTU. The cream of the crop, all heading right for you." 

Mandras was taking it all in at face value, his face had turned white and the tremble in his hands was getting stronger. 

"And I'm just supposed to believe you? Believe that... that all those people are looking for us?" 

"Yes, I know the procedures. Well, actually you may be wrong, they wont be looking for you, they'll know exactly where you are. They have the most sophisticated technology, they could find a needle in a haystack in a matter of minutes, and I doubt we are that well hidden." 

"Your bluffing." Mandras spoke strongly but his hands were still shaking, he was the person trying to bluff. 

"Am I?" 

It seemed that thus was enough for Mandras, he turned and left the room, slamming the door behind him. Once Jack could no longer hear the footsteps he let out a low chuckle, getting no satisfaction from it. He could only hope his words were true, and CTU was coming to get him right now. 


	19. Chapter 19

Nina and Peter both swirled around to face the door when Mandras barged into the office, terror painted over his face. Nina wondered if Jack had somehow escaped, it really wouldn't surprise her if he had. But he hadn't, instead he had been playing mind games with there host, and winning them too. 

She sipped at her coffee as Mandras told his tale, knowing that Jack was probably right, the teams would know where they were by now. Kingsley turned to face her now, asking her for an opinion. She thought about her response carefully, this was their way of testing her. She could agree with Jack and force them to move or fight the agents. But if they weren't as close as she assumed they were they would know she lied, and she would be back at square one. If she went against Jack, she could increase there chances of being found by CTU. Then she could give up her information and be free to go, the pardon was still waiting for her after all. 

"Its a lie," she sighed, "CTU can't get satellite coverage of the area so there's no way they know we are here. They may be in the area, but I doubt they will come knocking again; they don't like to be wrong twice." 

Mandras watched her carefully, Peter didn't seem too interested in what she said, he would decide what to do despite Ninas information. He liked to be the decision maker, but he didn't like to be wring either.

"You still have the cameras - activate them, if they are coming we will see them," Mandras suggested. 

"That's no use, they only have a hundred yard vision. If they're coming they can be on top of us in five minutes and we wouldn't see it coming." 

"It doesn't matter they aren't coming," Nina said strongly, demanding attention. 

"Then he's playing us!" Mandras yelled, frustrated. He stormed out of the office before Nina or Peter could say anything. Once he had left Peter glanced up at Nina and rased an eyebrow, seemingly amused with the situation. He turned his attention back to the laptop and Nina looked back down at her hands, the hot coffee warming them through the pot cup. 

Mandras stormed back into the interrogation room and leant over Jack, his hands on the restrained mans arms as he snarled in his face. 

"You think your funny? We know what you're up to, and I promise you this Bauer, you made a mistake, I'm going to make you regret your little game." 

Jack didn't look up at the man towering down on him, he was sure the man could keep his promise. Maybe they had someone from the inside who told them they were clear, or maybe Nina had told them he was lying. He didn't care, truth was he was probably right, it had been at least a couple of hours since he had been taken. CTU would be looking for him, the first thing they would do was search the area, this place wouldn't be overlooked. 

Mandras watched the man whom was clearly thinking and grew agitated, he wasn't intimidated by his presence; which didn't happen often. He took a step back as he considered starting his fun now or when Peter came, maybe he should wait. Then again, maybe he should teach the man a lesson he would not forget this time. 

He did neither as his cell rang. He hastily pulled it from his pockets and looked at the caller id. Why was Kingsley calling him? He didn't get time to answer it, the man hung up before he could accept the call, which he found suspicious. 

"I'll be right back," he muttered to Jack as he trudged down the hallway, confusion still written on his face. He didn't see Nina, or the black fire extinguisher she held in both hands. As she leapt out from the darkness and hit him full force in the face with the base of the instrument there was nothing he could do except fall to the ground. He was dazed from the hit, but not knocked out. Nina didn't wait to see she turned and ran, but the strong hand which tightened its grip around her ankle told her she had made a mistake, one she wouldn't make twice. She turned around and slammed the metal instrument against his had once more, his grip loosened. A third hit and he let go completely, fell still, unmoving. Nina wasn't sure if it was trick or not, so she hit him again and again until she realised she had caused some major damage, if he was lucky. She had probably crushed his skull. 

She didn't have time to feel bad about he reactions, she listened for anything to indicate that others had herd the struggle, nothing happened so she grabbed him under the arms and dragged his heavy frame to the open office door, where Kingsley was handcuffed to the wall. She stopped to rest twice before laying him down next to Peter and tying him up the same way, he didn't have any handcuffs on him so rope had to do. She leaned against the table for a moment to catch her breath, she was exhausted from the excursion and clearly out of shape. She pulled Peters cell form her pocket and smiled, it had done the trick. Taking a moment to scan the room she smiled, Peters face was red and blotchy, the room still smelled of her hot coffee. He too had made a mistake, by trusting her. She looked at the nasty gash on his head where she had smashed the cup against it; he would be luckier than Mandras, he would survive. 


	20. Chapter 20

Nina leant over and checked that Peter and Mandras were both secure, before conducting a quick search of them and the room. Mandras had a cell which she pocketed, before taking Peters gun from him. She was surprised Mandras was unarmed - it wasn't like him. She grabbed the only set of keys in the room and then left, closing the door behind her to hide the mess she had created. 

She walked with a purpose down the hallways, glad she had taken the time to memorise the way she was taken when she had been freed from the room. She was outside the interrogation room in minutes and knew it was unlocked; why lock it when its guest was heavily restrained? 

She took a deep breath and placed her game face on, silently anticipating the look on his face when he realised what she had done, she would savour it, she could already picture it. There would be a glint of surprise in his eyes, then anger as he realised he would have to rely on her to save him. There would be conflict on his face, but he would do a good job of hiding it - he had no trouble masking his feelings he did it with ease. But when he saw her he would watch in confusion, and when she told him what would happen he would tense, his jaw would clench and he'd probably blink his emotions away. He would be mad, and she would make sure she'd enjoy every moment of it. She was in control now. 

She pushed through the door and watched as Jacks sweaty head turned to see her, he looked confused and annoyed; he thinks they sent me in here to get back at him, she realised. His face was swollen in places, and the start of the bruising she had seen earlier was now more pronounced, shades of blue and black starting to show, making his face look dirty. Blood from his nose had dried over his chin and down his neck; he didn't look to be in the best condition but she knew from experience the physical injuries would not matter, he ignored pain as though it wasn't there. 

She stood before him with the keys in one hand the gun in the other as she placed her hands awkwardly on her hips. 

"Kingsley and Mandras are both secured, unconscious. I'm getting out of here; question is - what are you willing to do to get out of here too?" 

Jack looked down at his feet, she could almost hear his brain thinking as it worked out his options, the implications of her words; accepting that she was in the drivers seat and winning. 

"Can you stop yourself from killing me until we get to CTU? Can I trust you to help me get out of here?" 

Simple questions with complex answers, Jack thought, can I not kill here? The rational voice came in his mind telling him he didn't have a choice - if he didn't try he would probably be killed by some goons, and if he did kill her a nuclear bomb would detonate. He had to think of those innocent people, civilians - he couldn't let his blood lust get before that. 

"Untie me Nina." 

No room for any compromise in his voice, Nina smiled before leaning over and struggling with the straps which held him tightly in place, a smirk coming over her lips as she noticed how tense he had become while she was close to him. He was hating the close proximity between them, he was nervous of how he might react when he was free; I can not kill her. 

Once he was free he waited for her to take a step back before standing up, he didn't want her to think he would try anything, or the consequences to that would be equally bad; she was still holding the gun. 

"How many weapons did you find?" He was already back in the mind frame of Agent Bauer, dealing with a colleague, not the brutal killer he wanted to hurt so badly... 

"One. That's all there was. There's got to be a supply somewhere as they were talking about taking the Fed's on, but I've no idea where. This place is like a maze and I've no idea how we get out." 

"We need to get back to the holding cells, from they're we're home free."

Nina nodded in agreement, neither was sure of the way they had been taken, there were long thin passageways everywhere and the lack of light had made it impossible to spot any distinguishing marks along the way they had taken. 

"You get a cell?" 

Nina silently cursed herself for not thinking to call CTU herself, he would think she was slipping and see it as a window for opportunity. She silently handed one of the phones over to him, not telling him about the others, withholding information couldn't hurt, right? 

He dialled Tony's direct line and was pleased to hear him answer on the first ring. Tony told him they had people searching the area, and Jack explained where they were, so the agents could get to them faster. 

"What about Nina?" Tony asked, hoping that if she was dead Jack hadn't been the one to kill her. 

"She's here. She is going to help me get us out of here, then give you all the information she has on the bomb. After the bombs been found we will award her with the pardon." 

"You sure she's willing to co-operate with this?" 

"She doesn't have a choice." 

"Okay. ETA on the teams is 15 minutes, tops. Sit tight, we'll come and get you." 

"Thanks." He hung the phone up, Nina was looking at him questionably. 

"What now?" 

"We wait." 

"What we just sit here and wait for someone to come find us? That doesn't work for me Jack." 

"Yeah well you don't have a choice. CTU teams will he here soon, they know where to find us." 

Nina laughed, "I think you're mistaken Jack. I'm not waiting around to be killed, I'm getting out of here, to the top Barn at least."

"Nina-"

"I'm the one with the gun Jack," she stated threateningly, waving the gun in his direction. He didn't acknowledge her words, he didn't care about the gun. 

"You try anything, Nina, and I mean _anything, _and your pardon goes out the window. I can make that happen, _me, _so you better start doing as I say." 

"And if I don't?" Nina challenged, not happy with the way he had taken over the situation already. 

"I thought you were smarter than this Nina, clearly I was wrong," Jack said, watching confusion slip onto Nina's face. "You told me you have Peter and Mandras contained. They are involved with the bomb, higher up the food chain than you, as you've been out of the scene for some time. What does that mean Nina, tell me," he said, humour in his voice, he was enjoying this. Nina knew exactly what he meant but said nothing. "That's right. If I have those two men I don't need you Nina, they will give me more information than you could even know. So you better watch your step Nina, its not like I need a reason to blow you away right now." 

Jack continued to stare at her coldly, Nina looked at her feet, the gun now hanging loosely by her side. It might not intimidate Jack but she wouldn't let it go, if they were found before CTU came she would need to protect herself. 

Trying to act unfazed she started pacing the room, her lips pursed together in irritation towards Jack. She dejectedly wondered if she had ever had any power over him throughout this ordeal, the fact that she had given in filled herself with pity and shame, he would be watching her and enjoying it, feeling good. He was laughing at her inside, she knew it, but there was nothing she could do about it. 


	21. Chapter 21

Nina continued her pacing while Jack leant against the table, his eyes fixed on the door as he considered his options. He tried to shut out the tiny voice in his head telling him they had Mandras and Peter Kingsley. 'We don't need her'. He knew this wasn't completely true, Nina could still help, even with the interrogations of her once accomplices. He had to keep her alive, but he didn't have to like it.

"What is the status of Mandras and Kingsley?"

Nina's pacing stopped and her alms folded across her chest in a defensive reflex. The gun was still in her hand though, she would never put it down. She wondered why he was interested in the two men all of a sudden, but as she could find no hidden motive she decided to tell him.

"Mandras is probably dead." That was a blow, more reason to keep her alive. Then again, Peter had seemed to be the leader of the two. "Kingsley will be alright though, I scolded him then knocked him out."

Jack wanted to ask about his connection to the bomb but his instinct for survival took over.

"You just knocked him out?"

"Yes. Then I handcuffed him to the wall and went after Mandras."

Thoughts were swirling around Jack's head rapidly, and he knew that the twinge in his stomach wouldn't go away until he checked on the perpetrators himself. Besides, CTU would be there soon anyway, so it wouldn't hurt.

"How far away from them are we?"

Nina shrugged. "A few minutes, five tops."

"You remember the route you took?"

"Of course."

"Good. Lets go."

Nina's smile grew, she hadn't liked the idea of sitting around waiting, and now he needed her too.

"Stay close to the wall, if you see someone, start firing. I don't have anything to cover you with so you better hit them."

Nina nodded and they left the room, closing the door. They moved slowly with there backs pressed against the wall; Nina looking forward and Jack keeping watch behind them, there back shoulders almost touching as they looked out for hostiles. Each step was taken slowly and carefully as they moved in sync with each other. Not too far from the room now, Jack's cell beeped, CTU were contacting him. They stopped while Jack quietly took the call, his whispers echoing down the hallway. CTU were approaching the barn and would be with them soon. Jack relayed the information to Nina, visibly relieved as he did so, then they both carried on as before.

Jack kept his eyes open for a surprise attack. While Nina thought about Jack's earlier conversation with Tony, before they left the room. Their were a few issues Jack hadn't bothered to address, like her attempted escape and the murder of Faheen. Both could interfere with her pardon, suddenly she realised what he was up to and why he had been so civil with her, he was playing her. Stringing her along so she would co-operate, but when he was finished with her he would pull out a few aces that were hidden up his sleeve and try send her back to prison.

'Not this time,' she thought as she turned around to watch him. They were almost at the door, she noticed, she continued moving in rhyme so he wouldn't notice she had moved and was now facing him instead of the door. Grinning wildly in anticipation of her attack she brought the gun up into the air with both hands and paused for a split second before slamming it down on the base of his neck. There was a loud thud as the weapon connected with Jack's skin, he let out a strangled gasp as pain exploded in his head before collapsing to the ground under the impact of the hit.

He withered in pain on the floor unaware of Nina and the gun she was preparing to strike him with again. He tried to focus on anything other than the bright pain he was shrouded with but didn't succeed. Suddenly darkness came and he felt nothing more but the weightless sensation unconsciousness brought.


	22. THE FINAL

Despite his slight frame he was still heavy to drag across the hall and into the room. She was more than aware that CTU was on its way as she rushed into the room, out of the corner of her eye she noticed that Kingsley was coming too, she ignored him.. She dropped Jack in the centre of the room then made her way around the desk to check Mandras' pulse. She felt nothing as she noted he was dead.

She untied him and used the rope to bound Jack's hands behind himself. She contemplated restraining his legs too but decided against it; if things didn't go to plan and she had to move him it would be easier if he could walk on his own.

She used the spare rope to tie his hands again, knowing you could never be too careful when it came to Jack. Breathing heavily from the effort she took a moment to inspect the wound on his neck, a large fist shaped bruise was rapidly forming where her gun had connected with his flesh, he would probably have a deep headache to deal with when he awoke.

She pulled him around and laid him near the other two men before taking the phone CTU were contacting him on. She then wasted no time on getting to work with Mandras' jacket, pulling it from his large shoulders. She herd her name called and jumped in shock, thinking she had taken too long and CTU had already got to her. She was happy to see she was wrong.

"You go through with whatever it is you're planning and you will die."

"Shut up Peter, or you'll end up like your partner," she snapped, putting an emphasis on partner.

"Mandras? You did me a favour getting rid of him, we're the professionals Nina, you and I. You free me and I'll forget about this episode, and we can leave together."

"Not gonna happen," she muttered as she started to work on the material she had taken.

"And why is that?" His voice demanded and answer. Nina was only too happy to supply an answer to him, knowing it wouldn't make him feel any better about his situation.

"CTU are almost here."

Fear flashed over his face but he hid it away quickly. 'You're good,' Nina thought, 'but not good enough.'

"You think they will let you out of here, after what you've done?" His voice took on a condescending tone. He wouldn't be able to deal with Nina, so he had to try anger her into listening instead. It wasn't going to work.

"I cut a deal with them before I ended up here. And I have Jack."

Peter laughed. "Bauer isn't even on the payroll, they wont care about him. And they will not cut you a deal worth taking, we both know that."

Nina finished her work, she had ripped the two sleeves off the jacket. She picked one up and approached Peter slowly. "As much as I would like to debate this I have more pressing matters to deal with." Her voice taunted him and before he could respond she wrapped the long strip of cotton around his face, gagging him. She tied the knot tightly before facing him and gently slapping his face. "You should have never messed with me Peter, you'll learn."

Satisfied he would cause no problems Nina grabbed the second strip of material and used it to blindfold Jack who was still unconscious. There was no real reason for doing so other than her wanting to make sure she had the upper hand if he came around before CTU found them, they wouldn't be much longer.

She sat on the desk her legs dangling in the air and put her game face on as she dialled CTU. Tony answered on the second ring and began to speak instantly.

"CTU are searching the building for you right not. We sent three teams in, they already secured six hostiles."

"Well that's a comforting thought," Nina sneered down the line.

"Nina…"

"That's right Tony, I'm in charge here. Things have changed."

"Where's Jack?"

"He's here and he is fine. As long as you co-operate he will remain that way."

The silence was enough to tell her she had his attention.

"Good. I will honour my original deal and give myself up, before doing everything in my power to stop the bomb."

"Nothings changed Nina," Tony noted, stalling for time, CTU were almost on her, they were tracking the call to get a location quicker, the place was large and easy to get lost in.

"I know that Tony, you see, I have a man here who can tell you more than I can. I want to make a trade."

Tony's stomach dropped as he anticipated what the trade would be. He had a good idea and knew the only thing he could do was stall, and pray CTU hurried and found them.

"What kind of trade?"

"I will give you Peter Kingsley, in return I want my pardon modified, for the murder of Jack Bau-"

Tony drew the phone away from his ear as he herd the deafening explosion. He closed his eyes as his imagination filled him with images of the room being ripped to shards, surely the field team hadn't mistaken them for hostiles? His mind wandered to Jack and then quickly back to Nina, they needed her alive or else they were all dead anyway. Thankfully, he started to hear movement through the line, a dark voce making orders. He closed his eyes in relief, they had found them.

Nina hadn't noticed the door being opened that inch ajar, she had been busy talking to Tony, basking in the control she had over him and Jack. She had possessed that control before, but that time they hadn't known it. Until it was gone. The flash bang had thrown her to the floor in a haze of confusion, she could see nothing but white light and her ears were ringing. When she felt her hands being cuffed she realised what had happened. She tried to compose her trembling body but without her vision or sound it was a hard task.

The agents were ordered to arrest her until they had her back in LA so she couldn't try anything else with Jack. The medics were on a quick schedule so after unrestraining Jack and taking the blindfold off they placed him on a stretcher and rushed him up to the helicopter. Nina's smirk left her face as she watched them take him away; once again he had survived something he shouldn't have even got into, never mind come out too.

The men arrested Peter who seemed all too willingly to tell the agents things about Nina, hoping it would help him. Nina smiled, Tony would have his hands full now, Peter would probably give the information if they pushed hard enough, he was panicking. Hell, they might not even need her. But as long as she got her pardon it didn't matter too much.

She was escorted out of the barn and a forensics team passed them on the way out. She had to chuckle at that, they were going down for Mandras. At least that was one less enemy to have to worry about at night.

Jack came around shortly after they strapped the stretcher in. He sat up groggily confused and began asking questions, he needed to know what had happened to her. The ranking agent in the chopper explained how she had tried to use him as a hostage but they had gotten there first. She and the other man, plus another 6 men were being deported to CTU for interrogation now. Jack shook the mans hand in appreciation before getting up from the stretcher slowly and strapping himself in on the side bench. Once safely in he reached for the first aid kit, determined to keep going today, he wouldn't stop until the bomb was stopped, no matter what.

And that's a wrap folks!

I was gonna do one more chapter but there's no need - its done here J

As you can imagine, Peter and Nina help, Jack finds the bomb ala season 2 style!

Thanks for reading guys this was fun!


	23. ALTERNATE FINAL!

Alternate ending as people thought the original one was rushed. Maybe this is no better I don't know (lol) but I like it more! The indicate where the new final takes off from.

Despite his slight frame he was still heavy to drag across the hall and into the room. She was more than aware that CTU was on its way as she rushed into the room, out of the corner of her eye she noticed that Kingsley was coming too, she ignored him.. She dropped Jack in the centre of the room then made her way around the desk to check Mandras' pulse. She felt nothing as she noted he was dead.

She untied him and used the rope to bound Jack's hands behind himself. She contemplated restraining his legs too but decided against it; if things didn't go to plan and she had to move him it would be easier if he could walk on his own.

She used the spare rope to tie his hands again, knowing you could never be too careful when it came to Jack. Breathing heavily from the effort she took a moment to inspect the wound on his neck, a large fist shaped bruise was rapidly forming where her gun had connected with his flesh, he would probably have a deep headache to deal with when he awoke.

She pulled him around and laid him near the other two men before taking the phone CTU were contacting him on. She then wasted no time on getting to work with Mandras' jacket, pulling it from his large shoulders. She herd her name called and jumped in shock, thinking she had taken too long and CTU had already got to her. She was happy to see she was wrong.

"You go through with whatever it is you're planning and you will die."

"Shut up Peter, or you'll end up like your partner," she snapped, putting an emphasis on partner.

"Mandras? You did me a favour getting rid of him, we're the professionals Nina, you and I. You free me and I'll forget about this episode, and we can leave together."

"Not gonna happen," she muttered as she started to work on the material she had taken.

"And why is that?" His voice demanded and answer. Nina was only too happy to supply an answer to him, knowing it wouldn't make him feel any better about his situation.

"CTU are almost here."

Fear flashed over his face but he hid it away quickly. 'You're good,' Nina thought, 'but not good enough.'

"You think they will let you out of here, after what you've done?" His voice took on a condescending tone. He wouldn't be able to deal with Nina, so he had to try anger her into listening instead. It wasn't going to work.

"I cut a deal with them before I ended up here. And I have Jack."

Peter laughed. "Bauer isn't even on the payroll, they wont care about him. And they will not cut you a deal worth taking, we both know that."

Nina finished her work, she had ripped the two sleeves off the jacket. She picked one up and approached Peter slowly. "As much as I would like to debate this I have more pressing matters to deal with." Her voice taunted him and before he could respond she wrapped the long strip of cotton around his face, gagging him. She tied the knot tightly before facing him and gently slapping his face. "You should have never messed with me Peter, you'll learn."

Satisfied he would cause no problems Nina grabbed the second strip of material and used it to blindfold Jack who was still unconscious. There was no real reason for doing so other than her wanting to make sure she had the upper hand if he came around before CTU found them, they wouldn't be much longer.

She sat on the desk her legs dangling in the air and put her game face on as she dialled CTU. Tony answered on the second ring and began to speak instantly.

"CTU are searching the building for you right not. We sent three teams in, they already secured six hostiles."

"Well that's a comforting thought," Nina sneered down the line.

"Nina…"

"That's right Tony, I'm in charge here. Things have changed."

"Where's Jack?"

"He's here and he is fine. As long as you co-operate he will remain that way."

The silence was enough to tell her she had his attention.

"Good. I will honour my original deal and give myself up, before doing everything in my power to stop the bomb."

"Nothings changed Nina," Tony noted, stalling for time, CTU were almost on her, they were tracking the call to get a location quicker, the place was large and easy to get lost in.

"I know that Tony, you see, I have a man here who can tell you more than I can. I want to make a trade."

Tony's stomach dropped as he anticipated what the trade would be. He had a good idea and knew the only thing he could do was stall, and pray CTU hurried and found them.

"What kind of trade?"

"I will give you Peter Kingsley, in return I want my pardon modified, for the murder of Jack Bau-"

Nina stopped suddenly as she herd the creak of a footstep and saw the door handle leading into the room move slowly, a fraction at a time. Smiling to herself she laid the phone on the desk and moved away, she'd let Tony listen to this.

"Stay back of or he's dead!" She yelled, it was enough to stop the movement of the handle.

Tightening the grip on the gun she quickly pulled Jack by the wall next to Peter. Ripping the gag she had secured him with earlier she leaned into his ear and whispered.

"Stay silent and I just might let you live through this."

Peters face showed his anger and reluctance as he gave a short nod before looking at the blindfolded man next to him, his head lagging to the side as he slouched against the wall. Nina didn't dare take her eyes off of the door for a second, her mind was running in circles looking for the best way to play this situation, she was a survivor and she was going to walk out of this on top.

She moved so she was positioned between her two captives and she risked a quick glance over at Jack. Was Peter right, when he said they wouldn't trade with him? She knew they had abandoned him before, during her last night at CTU when the Drazens had him. Maybe his past would make them feel inclined to save him this time? He was friends with the President - that had to make him be of some value right?

Taking a slight step from the wall she called out to the agents on the other side of the door, her voice loud and clear, "I want the team leader on the other side of this door in the next ten seconds, unarmed and with no radio either. Or the hostages get it."

Tony listened at CTU confused, who were the other hostages? Ignoring the growing questions he closed his eyes and put all of his attention on listening to the scene as best as he could, wishing he was there to stop her this time.

Nina watched satisfied as she saw the aging man she recognised as Phillips slowly pass through the door and into the room. His hands were up in the air, he only moved them to close the door securely behind him at Nina's order.

Nina grinned, if they were willing to risk sending in their leader they would take other risks too, for Bauer. Phil watched her calmly as she smiled to herself plotting her next move in her mind.

"Here's the deal Phil, and its not debatable. I want my pardon, delivered here, with the presidents signature on it, along with an escort to my desired location. The new pardon will have no confined location. I also want today activities included in it, the murders of Mandras and Faheen."

"Anything else?" Phil asked sarcastically, he could see she was thinking about her last move. Debating whether to take it or not.

Deciding to place all of her cards on the table she smiled at him seductively.

"Yes. There is something else actually."

Phil kept his eyes on her while he fought the urge to charge her. She had searched him but had missed his knife strapped into his belt. He could run at her and get it free… It was tempting but all she had to do was pull the trigger. He continued to take deep breaths and look at her, if he focused on Bauer and the man he would give them away.

Jack was conscious, after moving his head he'd felt somebody's foot prod his side; which oddly enough told him to be quiet. It had allowed him to hear Nina demand the agent inside. Peter had then prodded him again twice, but Jack hadn't been sure of which message he had been trying to convey. He wasn't even aware of who was secretly communicating with him.

So he stayed still with his head pounding and his arms aching as they were tied tightly behind his back. He had been rewarded for his efforts when he felt a hand clawing at his blindfold. Jack had tried to inch closer to the hand but it was no use, he was too exhausted to move. So he sat in silence listening as intently as he could, almost certain he knew what Nina's next demand was going to be.

"I would also like David to grant me immunity for the murder of Jack Bauer," she said mockingly as she drew out the name David.

Phillips eyes widened slightly in shock but more in disturbance of what this would mean if the President granted her order. Nina laughed at his dazzled expression. "Oh, and I want this in advance, of course."

She waited a moment as Philip stood motionless on the spot with his hands still rooted in the air as she had ordered him. He didn't know what to do.

"Go on then, run along now!" Nina laughed, watching the man leave the room. She closed the door securely behind herself once more and turned around to see her victims. Jack hadn't moved and Peter was sitting silently with a cold expression on his face. He knew he'd be her insurance.

She smiled as she moved over to Peter an crouched before him, patting her cheek in a dismissing gesture.

"That's right Pete; once Jacks dead you're my cover - you're what's going to get me that deal signed. They need you to stop the bomb - they don't need me anymore."

She moved away from him satisfied with his silence. Turning to now face Jack and wake him up to tell him of his fate, she saw Peter kick him with his foot. She moved in on Jack with a smirk on her face, did Pete want to take his frustration out on this man? Well it was fine by her, she fought wickedly.

However, she was wrong. In the same instance that she leaned towards Jack she saw his legs shoot out from beneath him, one catching her stomach blowing the breath from her as the other caught her on her knee cap. She cried out in pain as she started falling through the air, watching in some sort of daze as Peter tried to rip the pipe which was connected to his handcuffs from the wall. The door was blown apart suddenly and she could see bits of wooden debris flying through the air, agents bursting through the hole with there automatic weapons all aimed at her; Kinglsey still trying to get free, shouting like a lunatic.

She hit the ground with a strangled yelp as the pain in her leg intensified and the edges of her vision started to darken. Through the chaos she could see Jack, his head curled downwards to protect himself, until Philips himself untied him and took off the blindfold.

Peter was still frantically pulling at his restraints, a single guard was watching him while other surrounded Nina. She tried to look unfazed as they cuffed her and forced her to her feet despite the brutal agony which rushed through her knee.

Jack moved over to her, one hand absently massaging the back of his neck where she had clouted him with the gun and rendered him unconscious. His face betrayed nothing and his eyes stared deep into her. She looked down before the men dragged her away as she whimpered in pain; he had won this round.

Jack himself freed Kingsley from the wall and re-cuffed him before placing him under official arrest. As the room started to clear and Peter too was taken away he spotted the phone on the desk. Picking it up he smiled when he herd Tony's exasperated voice on the other end of the line, covered with worry and excitement at the same time. They were so close to ending this thing.

He handed the cell to the forensic team who had entered the compound, bags of equipment bustling between them. Philips came running up to him.

"Agent Bauer?"

Jack turned around to see the agent and smiled. "Yeah Phil?"

"We got a chopper ready for you. Got an address in LA where we think Syed Ali is."

"Thanks," Jack called as he took off jogging up the steps and through the barn out into the open land.

He shielded his eyes from the bright sun and approached the CTU chopper. As it began to sail through the skies to LA Jack saw a shackled Nina being placed in a van. He smiled to himself, they were on their way to stopping the bomb and he hadn't given in to his revenge and killed Nina. Maybe he was human after all.

Hope you liked this ending better!

Please let me know!


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